Rounds of talks among Congress top leadership for the next chief minister of Karnataka continued for the third day today after the party secured 135 seats in the recently concluded election in the southern state. Both the chief ministerial aspirants, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar met with party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in New Delhi separately.
As per ABP News sources, during his meeting with Kharge, Shivakumar expressed his desire to run the state and opposed Siddaramaiah’s claim for the post saying it was because of the latter that the party lost Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and that their government fell in the state in 2020.
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Here is a wrap up on the third day of Congress’s deliberations over the name of next Karnataka chief minister.
- After DK Shivakumar cancelled his visit to Delhi yesterday citing health issues, he reached the national capital this morning and met with Kharge in the evening.
- During his meeting with Kharge, which went for around half an hour, Shivakumar told Congress president that he wants to be the chief minister of Karnataka.
- He targeted Siddaramaiah during the meeting saying it was because of him that the Congress lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and was unseated in Karnataka in 2020.
- Shortly after Shivakumar left Kharge’s residence, Siddaramaiah visited the place and held a meeting with the party president. Later Siddaramaiah also met Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal.
- Earlier in the day Rahul Gandhi also drove to Kharge’s residence and held a meeting for over 90 minutes.
- The two top party leaders discussed the issue of chief ministership and modalities of government formation in Karnataka
- G Parameshwara said he was ready to take up the responsibility if the party high command asked him to run the government, heating up the CM race.
- Discussions are likely to be held with Sonia Gandhi before the final decision is taken, reported PTI.