BENGALURU: The Congress legislature party (CLP), which met at a hotel on Sunday evening, has unanimously authorised All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the new Chief Minister of the state.
In a one-line resolution, the CLP said, “The Congress legislature party unanimously resolves that AICC President is hereby authorised to appoint the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party,” the resolution stated.
Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, told media persons after the meeting, “Siddaramaiah moved a single line resolution authorising the AICC president to appoint a new leader of the Congress legislature party. All the 135 MLAs have unanimously approved that resolution”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Our observers will convey their opinion to the high command and a decision will be taken thereafter”.
Ahead of the CLP meeting on Sunday, a huge number of supporters had gathered outside the hotel and raised slogans in support of D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. Supporters of both sides had put up huge flexes declaring them as the next chief minister near the residences of the respective leaders.
Earlier in the day, supporters had gathered in front of the residence of KPCC president D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru and raised slogans of ‘We want DK Shivakumar as CM’. Several Vokkaliga seers also visited his house and, at a meeting later in the afternoon at the Adichunchanagiri Mutt in Vijayanagar, they extended full support to him. The Vokkaliga Sangha has also insisted that Shivakumar should be made CM.
Meanwhile, the Kuruba Sangha has also extended support to Siddaramaiah and recalled the welfare schemes that his government had introduced.
The Congress, which registered an emphatic victory against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka on Saturday, now faces the challenge of deciding the chief minister amid speculations of Siddaramaiah being the frontrunner followed by state party president DK Shivakumar.
Kharge on Sunday appointed three observers in Karnataka, including former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and party leaders Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria for the election of the Congress legislative party (CLP) leader in the state.
Taking to his social media handle, KC Venugopal said, “Congress President has deputed Sushil Kumar Shinde (Former Chief Minister, Maharashtra), Jitendra Singh (AICC GS) and Deepak Babaria (former AICC GS) as observers for the election of the Congress Legislative party (CLP) Leader of Karnataka.”
The observers will submit the report to the party’s high command after which a decision on the CM candidate will be taken. (With Agency inputs)