Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence after winning the Karnataka Assembly elections in New Delhi on May 14, 2023. Photo Credit: ANI
as race Heated battle between Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar for the post of Chief Minister of KarnatakaCongress President Mallikarjun Kharge returned to Delhi on 14 May and Said that the AICC observers will inform the high command about the opinion of the party’s MLAs. Who will take the final decision later.
He also said that everything went smoothly party in assembly elections And the government will be formed as soon as possible.
The newly elected assembly is to be formed in Karnataka as the term of the previous assembly ends on May 24. This means that the swearing-in of the new Chief Minister and his ministers is to take place a few days before that.
During this, Karnataka Congress President Shivakumar Indicating that he is in the race for the post of Chief Minister, he said that he takes everyone along and never asks for anything for himself.
He also dismissed speculations of differences between him and Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,
Speaking to reporters at Nonvinakere in Tumakuru, Mr Shivakumar said the Congress and the legislature party would decide the next chief minister of Karnataka.
To a question that preference should be given to those who work hard rather than those liked by the people, Shivakumar said when Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao took over as Congress Legislature Party President and state unit chief respectively after the party’s defeat in 2019. had resigned from the post. -Election, the then Congress National President Sonia Gandhi reposed faith in him and made him the state unit president.
Besides, supporters of both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar have put up posters referring to him as Chief Minister.
Mr Kharge, who returned here from Karnataka in the afternoon, said the priority of the Congress was to serve the people of the state, irrespective of who voted for the party and who did not.
In the May 10 elections, the Congress won 135 of the 224 seats, while the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.
Speaking to reporters at the airport after landing in New Delhi, Mr Kharge said, “Our observers have gone to Bengaluru, they will reach in the evening. After that there will be a CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting, after which whatever opinion It will be informed to the high command. After that the high command will take its decision.” Mr. Siddaramaiah, the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, and Mr. Shivakumar, the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, are strong contenders and frontrunners for the coveted post.
The Congress president was warmly received at his 10 Rajaji Marg residence on his return from Karnataka following the party’s massive victory in the Assembly polls, with supporters raising slogans in his favour.
Talking to the media at his residence, Mr. Kharge said that the victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections is the victory of the people.
“The people of Karnataka have rejected the BJP. People suffering from price rise, unemployment and corruption have ensured the victory of the Congress and that too with a huge majority,” he said.
He said that the Congress has got the biggest mandate and wants a stable government in the state.
Shri Kharge said that the people, especially the poor, women, minorities and Dalits have accepted the Five Guarantees of the Congress and will be implemented as per their expectations.
“On the first day of formation of our cabinet, we will bring five guarantees to life and implement them. That’s why we have got a big mandate, we have to serve the people. Our job is to serve the people and ensure their welfare,” he said. Those who voted for us as well as those who did not vote for us.
“Whatever happened during the elections is in the past and we will work for the development of Karnataka and do our best to make it the number one state. States like Karnataka and Maharashtra were considered well-governed.” We want that time to return,” Mr Kharge said.
Asked when Karnataka will get a new chief minister, he said three people have been sent as observers and they will hear the opinion of the legislators and then submit a report to the high command.
The high command will then take an appropriate decision, Mr Kharge said.
“We have to run the government properly and it will come out through consensus. We are a democratic party… Everything was smooth till now in the elections, we have got the majority, we will form the government at the earliest,” he said. Mr. Kharge insisted.
The Congress on Sunday appointed three central observers — senior leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, general secretaries Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria — ahead of the legislature party meeting to elect a new chief minister in Karnataka.
AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said central observers would monitor the CLP meeting.