Siddaramaiah Formally Elected As CLP Leader, Stakes Claim To Form Government In Karnataka

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar moved a resolution to elect Siddaramaiah as the new leader of the CLP. All the members of the CLP endorsed it unanimously.

New Delhi: A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Thursday formally elected Siddaramaiah as its leader and Chief Minister of Karnataka, following which he met the Governor and staked his claim to form the government in the state. Ending days of suspense, the Congress central leadership earlier on Thursday announced that Siddaramaiah would be the chief minister, while state party chief D K Shivakumar would be his only deputy in the soon-to-formed cabinet. The meeting of newly-elected Congress MLAs, MLCs and MPs, which took place at Indira Gandhi Bhavan here, was also attended by AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and two other central observers -- former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh.

According to Surjewala, Shivakumar moved a resolution to elect Siddaramaiah as the new leader of the CLP. All the members of the CLP endorsed it unanimously. Following this, Siddaramaiah along with Shivakumar and other Congress leaders met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Raj Bhavan here and staked his claim to form the government in the state.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who were in a tight race for the top post, will take oath on May 20 at 12.30 PM along with a group of ministers-designate. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge haas invited leaders of several like-minded parties for the swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru. The event may turn out to be a show of strength for opposition parties amid unity efforts to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Several top Congress leaders from Kharge to former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were involved in the hectic parleys with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

The two state leaders, who were in Delhi for parleys with the top party leadership, left for Bengaluru in the afternoon and are expected to return to the capital on Friday for discussions with party leadership on the composition of the new Cabinet.

The first challenge that Siddaramaiah is expected to face is putting in place a Cabinet with the right combinations that will strike a balance in having representatives from all communities, regions, factions, and also from among old and new generation of legislators.

With the sanctioned strength of the Karnataka cabinet being 34, there are too many aspirants for ministerial berths. According to party sources, with all major communities largely backing the party in the elections, there will naturally be aspirations from every one.