'Kissa Kursi Ka' in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar, who will become next CM

Amid heightened suspense over who will become the next Chief Minister of Karnataka, former CM Siddaramaiah arrived in the national capital on Monday afternoon to meet party bosses. After initial dithering, another strong contender, KPCC president D K Shivakumar, too was on way to Delhi on Tuesday to take up his case with the party high command. Congress sources said the swearing-in is scheduled for May 18.

Shivakumar has asserted that under his presidency, the party won 135 seats in the Assembly polls giving it absolute majority in the 224-member House, thereby implying that he should be crowned. The Congress central leadership will be deciding on the new Chief Minister, after its observers submitted a report on the opinion of the MLAs which they collected in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru on Sunday.

At the moment, all eyes are riveted on the Congress' central leadership that will pick the new Karnataka chief minister, a decision preceded by intensive consultations, one-on-one interaction with MLAs and even a 'secret ballot'. After the Congress party's stupendous victory in the May 10 assembly polls, intense lobbying for the chief minister's post in Karnataka began. The party faces the uphill task of satisfying the two camps and is working on a 'formula'.

Both the top Karnataka leaders have been called to Delhi by the party high command for further consultations on government formation in the state. Senior party leader B K Hariprasad said the MLAs were asked for their open feedback on their choice of chief minister during their interaction with the observers and also a secret ballot was held for the CM's name. The observers have brought the ballot boxes to Delhi along with them.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to take a decision on who will be the next chief minister of Karnataka soon. He is also likely to hold consultations with top Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, before arriving at a decision. Meanwhile, the party is also gearing up for preparations for making the swearing-in ceremony of the chief minister a big show of strength, where several opposition leaders will be invited.

Supporters of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had raised slogans projecting them as the next chief minister outside the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party on Sunday evening. A poster war by supporters of both leaders also erupted soon after the party won the election. The CLP had passed a resolution authorising the party chief to pick the chief minister.

Siddaramaiah, a leader with mass appeal, is popular among all sections and has the experience of running a government of full five-year term from 2013-18. Shivakumar, on the other hand, has strong organisational capabilities. He is considered resourceful and Congress' troubleshooter during tough times and has the backing of the dominant Vokkaliga community, its influential seers and leaders.