As the meeting of Congress party legislators is underway in Bengaluru, to propose the name for the next chief minister of Karnataka, the supporters of both the front-runners, DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, vouch for their leaders outside the Shangri-La hotel where the meeting is taking place. The supporters of both the leaders, with placards, are chanting slogans in front of the venue.
Both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have made no secret of their ambition to become CM and had been involved in a game of political one-upmanship in the past and as per ABP News sources, eight-time MLA.
During the meeting, the legislators unanimously decided to authorise Kharge to decide on the name of the next chief minister in Karnataka.
As per sources, Siddaramaiah is leading the race for CM as he has got the support of 75 MLAs while Shivakumar is being rooted by 40 legislators.
Before the final decision on the leader of the legislature party, Kharge will meet with MLAs one-on-one tomorrow, the sources added.
Sushil Kumar Shinde (former Maharashtra Chief Minister), Jitendra Singh (All IndiaCC GS), and Deepak Babaria (former AICC GS) have been appointed as observers by Kharge.
Ahead of the meeting, supporters of both the camps, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, erected posters demanding them to be the next CM of the state.
According to sources, Congress is working out a formula to split the tenure of the Chief Minister between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. While Siddaramiah, a mass leader, may be made the CM for the first 2.5 years, DK Shivakumar will be handed the responsibility for the next 2.5 years.