Congress MLAs leave selection of CLP leader to Kharge's decision

New Delhi: The Congress Legislature Party Sunday unanimously decided to leave the selection of Congress Legislature Party leader to the decision of the AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Congress central observers, along with AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal held a meeting with Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D K Shivakumar.

Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge had deputed former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh and former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria as observers for the election of the CLP leader.

Earlier on Sunday, Kharge rushed back to Delhi and said the AICC observers will convey the opinion of the party's MLAs to the high command which will then take a final decision.

He also asserted that everything has gone smoothly for the party in the assembly polls and the government will be formed as soon as possible.

The newly elected assembly in Karnataka has to be put in place as the term of the previous assembly expires on May 24. This means the swearing-in of the new chief minister and his ministers has to take place a few days before that.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress president Shivakumar hinted that he is in the chief ministerial race, saying he took everyone along and never sought anything for himself.

He also brushed aside speculations about differences between him and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to reporters at Nonavinakere in Tumakuru, Shivakumar said the Congress and the legislature party will decide the next chief minister of Karnataka.

On the question that those who toiled should get preference instead of those who are liked by people, Shivakumar said when Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao had resigned as the Congress Legislature Party president and head of the state unit respectively after the party's rout in the 2019 by-elections, then Congress national president Sonia Gandhi had reposed faith in him and made him the state unit president.

Also, respective supporters of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have put up posters referring to them as chief minister.

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 former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.   Talking to reporters at the airport after he landed here, 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 following which whatever opinion is there, it will be communicated to the high command. The high command will then make its decision." Leader of Opposition in the outgoing assembly Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Shivakumar are strong claimants and front-runners for the coveted post.

The Congress president received a warm welcome at his 10 Rajaji Marg residence after his return from Karnataka following the party's big win in the assembly polls, with supporters raising slogans in his favour.

Interacting with the media at his residence, Kharge said the win in the Karnataka assembly polls was a victory of the people.

"People in Karnataka have rejected the BJP. The people who were suffering from inflation, unemployment and corruption have ensured the victory of the Congress and that too with a big majority," he said.

The Congress has been given the biggest mandate and it is for a stable government in the state, he said.

Kharge said the people, particularly the poor, women, minorities and Dalits, have accepted the five guarantees of the Congress and as per their expectations, these will be implemented.

"We will bring the five guarantees to life on the first day our cabinet is formed and will implement them. This is why we have got a big mandate, we have to serve the people. Our job is to serve the people and ensure the welfare of those who voted for us and also those who did not vote for us," he said.

"Whatever happened during the election is in the past and we will work for the development of Karnataka and try our best to make it the number one state that it used to be. States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra used to be considered as well governed, we want that time to return," Kharge said.

Asked when will Karnataka get a new chief minister, he said three people have been sent as observers and they will listen to the MLAs' opinion and then submit a report to the high command.

The high command will then take an appropriate decision, Kharge said.

"We have to run the government properly and this will come out by consensus. Ours is a democratic party.... Everything was smooth till now in the elections, we got a majority, we will form the government as soon as possible," Kharge stressed.

The Congress on Sunday appointed three central observers -- senior leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, general secretary Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria -- ahead of its crucial legislature party meeting in Karnataka to elect the new chief minister, amid hectic lobbying for the top post.

AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the central observers would oversee the CLP meeting.