Stalemate over Karnataka CM chair: Another round of meetings today
The stand-off between Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar over Karnataka's chief ministerial post is ongoing as both held separate meetings with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Another round of meetings with Shivakumar is expected to be held on Wednesday morning, reports said. Meanwhile, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will reportedly reach Delhi on Wednesday and meet the leaders involved in the decision-making process.
Why does this story matter?
Both contenders are lobbying for the state's top post after the Congress bagged 135 of 224 seats in a landslide victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections. The party reportedly managed to keep the differences between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps at bay, which helped them to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party, which won 66 seats, followed by the Janata Dal (Secular) at 19 seats.
Ex-Deputy CM G Parameshwara throws hat in ring
The final decision regarding the Karnataka CM's chair is likely to be announced on Wednesday; both contenders are in Delhi. On Tuesday, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi reportedly visited Kharge's residence and held discussions for over 90 minutes regarding the potential CM pick and the process of establishing a government in Karnataka. Separately, ex-Deputy CM G Parameshwara has proposed his name for the post.
Defamation case against channels making false claims: Shivakumar
Moreover, trashing rumors about him resigning from the party, Shivakumar said he would file a defamation case against the media channels making such false claims. He said, "My mother is my party, I built this party. My high command, my MLAs, my party are there."
Rahul backs Siddaramaiah, Sonia favors Shivakumar: Report
As per an India Today TV report, Rahul backs Siddaramaiah while Sonia shares a good rapport with Shivakumar, who was the flagbearer of the Congress's victory in Karnataka. The report further claimed that Kharge is averse to Siddaramaiah, who was the CM from 2013 to 2018. Rumors say party leaders Randeep Surjewala and KC Venugopal deliberated over a power-sharing formula for both contenders.
Power-sharing led Congress to political crisis
It is worth noting that power-sharing arrangements haven't worked out too well for the Congress in the past. The grand old party recently faced leadership conflicts and infighting in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan over the same, and earlier between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh and Captain Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu in Punjab, too.
