Siddaramaiah To Be Karnataka CM, DK Shivakumar His Deputy; Swearing-In On May 20

Ending days of speculation, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday chose former CM Siddaramaiah to lead Karnataka, while DK Shivakumar will be the deputy CM. The oath taking ceremony is likely to be held on May 20 in Bengaluru.

New Delhi: Ending the days of long suspense over the next Karnataka Chief Minister, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday chose Siddaramaiah to lead the southern state, the news agency ANI reported. Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar will reportedly be the deputy CM and the oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held in Bengaluru on May 20. The grand old party has also called a Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday, DK Shivakumar held several meetings with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka unit in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and party general secretary KC Venugopal.

Speaking to the media after arriving at Venugopal`s residence, the Kanakapura MLA said, "There is nothing to tell. We have left it to the high command. High command will take the call. I`m going for rest."

Before Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah also met Rahul and Venugopal on Wednesday.

The Congress, which registered a thumping victory in Karnataka on Saturday, had held a CLP meeting on Sunday in Bengaluru. They had submitted the report of the CLP meeting and voting through a secret ballot to Kharge on Monday afternoon.

The results of assembly polls were declared on Saturday and the newly-elected Congress MLAs on Sunday authorised Kharge to take a decision. With the action shifting to Delhi, both Siddaramaiah, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Shivakumar reached the national capital.

The Congress won 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly. 

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah's supporters gathered near his official residence in Bengaluru and shouted slogans praising their leader. They also poured milk on the life-size cut out of the former CM that has been put up in front of his residence.

Similar scenes were witnessed in his home district of Mysuru and his native village of Siddaramanahundi. His followers and well-wishers set off crackers, danced, distributed sweets, and celebrated by pouring milk on his huge cutouts erected on the roadside.

Meanwhile, preparations were underway at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the heart of Bengaluru, for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Minister, with officials inspecting the venue. This, notably, is the very venue where Siddaramaiah took oath as the Chief Minister for the first time in 2013.