Siddaramaiah To Be Next Karnataka CM, Shivakumar To Be His Deputy. Swearing-In On May 20

Congress high command has made a final decision on Karnataka CM as it has selected Siddaramaiah for the post while DK Shivakumar will be made his deputy.

The Chief Minister tussle in Karnataka seems to be ending as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at a consensus for the government formation in the state. According to ANI, Siddaramaiah will be the next chief minister of Karnataka and DK Shivakumar will be the Deputy Chief Minister. The oath ceremony will be held in Bengaluru on 20th May. This comes days after Congress won the assembly polls in the southern state by claiming 135 seats but the suspense continued over the CM. Both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were the top contenders for the post.

Sources say that Siddaramaiah will remain the Chief Minister for the first half of the 5-year term and DK Shivakumar will rule the state in the second half.

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said that Karnataka will most likely have a new cabinet in the next 48-72 hours.

Speaking to the reporters, Surjewala said, "Whenever Congress makes a decision we will inform you. In the next 48-72 hours, we will have a new cabinet in Karnataka."

"Do not resort to any speculation, whenever a decision is taken by the Congress president, we will be happy to inform you. I am only here to quash multiple rumours and hearsay ...that are being played on multiple news channels. Please don't believe in it," Surjewala told reporters, according to PTI.

His statement came as the top rung of the party has been holding back-to-back meetings over the Karnataka CM announcement with both contenders Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah in the national capital. According to sources Sidddaramaiah would most likely be declared as the Karnataka CM.

Sources also said that the Congress leadership and Rahul Gandhi have offered DK Shivakumar the Deputy CM and PCC post along with six other portfolios which he has not agreed to yet. Meanwhile, after meeting the party leader Rahul Gandhi, DK Shivakaumar arrived at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of the announcement on Karnataka CM. 

According to sources, Sonia Gandhi had spoken to DK Shivkumar and tried to convince him. She has told him that his loyalty will not go unrewarded.