After Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar leaves for Delhi to meet Congress high command amid suspense over Karnataka CM

New Delhi: With the race for Karnataka’s new chief minister heating up between old guard Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, the latter will visit Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the issue of government formation in the southern state with the party’s central leadership. Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress President, and Siddaramaiah, both frontrunners for the Karnataka Chief Minister’s chair, were called by the Congress central leadership to the national capital for discussions. While Siddaramaiah arrived in Delhi on Monday afternoon amid intense lobbying for the top post, Shivakumar canceled his visit citing health issues.

DK Shivakumar is scheduled to leave for Delhi at 9:50 am from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, his office said in a statement. The Karnataka Congress president is locked in an intense power struggle with Siddaramaiah over who will head the new government after the Congress stormed to power in the May 10 election for the 224-member assembly, winning 135 seats.

Earlier on Sunday, the Congress Legislature Party meeting held at a hotel in Bengaluru unanimously passed a resolution authorizing party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to choose who would be the next chief minister of Karnataka. Three central observers of the Congress, who held talks with the newly elected MLAs of the party on their choice for the chief minister, then briefed Kharge and submitted their report on Monday.

Congress is in no hurry to choose the new Chief Minister of Karnataka

AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala on Monday said the party was in no hurry to choose the new chief minister and would take a decision after extensive consultations with state leaders.

“The observers have submitted the report to the Congress president. We will hold discussions with all senior state leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, and then a decision will be taken by the Congress president,” he told reporters outside Kharge’s residence after the meeting. ” ,

He said the Congress president believes that the decision should be taken keeping in mind the unity, consensus, consensus and welfare of Kannadigas.

Kharge is likely to take a decision on the next chief minister of Karnataka after holding consultations with the top Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

DK Shivakumar’s ‘pressure tactics’

Amid various claims about the number of MLAs supporting him and Siddaramaiah for the post of CM of Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on Monday said their strength is 135 as the party won seats in the state under his chairmanship.

“We had proposed a line that we would leave the matter to the party high command, after that some would have shared their personal opinion. I do not have the strength to speak about the other’s number, my The strength is 135, I am the party president and under my chairmanship, the party has won 135 seats in Karnataka against the double engine (BJP) government, corrupt administration and suffering of the people,” he said.

His move is now being seen as a ‘pressure tactic’ to stake his claim to the top post and signals that the leadership battle in the southern state is far from over.

Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar

Siddaramaiah, 75, is a leader with mass appeal and has the experience of running a full five-year government from 2013-18. He is also considered close to former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and apparently has his support.

However, he is not so much associated with the party organizationally and is still considered an outsider by the Congress old guard as he was earlier with the JD(S).

Shivakumar, on the other hand, has strong organizational abilities and is known to be resourceful. The 61-year-old is also called the Congress’s troubleshooter during difficult times and has the support of the prominent Vokkaliga community, its influential seers and leaders.