Soon-to-be CM, his deputy finally on the same page; it took 2 days of hectic parleys involving Cong leadership to break the logjam over the top post in Karnataka
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge with Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, in Delhi, on Thursday. Pic/PTI
Several top Congress leaders from party president Mallikarjun Kharge to former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were involved in hectic parleys with Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar for the past two day, which finally helped break the logjam over the top post in Karnataka.
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Ending days of suspense, the Congress on Thursday announced Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister and Karnataka president Shivakumar as his only deputy in the soon-to-formed cabinet.
The two leaders, who were in a tight race for the top post, would take oath along with other ministers at 12.30 pm on May 20 and leaders of all like-minded parties will be invited for the swearing-in ceremony. Both the leaders expressed their commitment to work together for the welfare of the people of Karnataka.
“Our hands will always be united to protect the interests of Kannadigas. The Congress party will work as a family to deliver pro-people, transparent, corruption-free governance and fulfil all our guarantees,” Siddaramaiah said in a tweet with a picture of Kharge and Shivakumar in a show of unity.
Shivakumar, tweeting the same picture, said, “Karnataka’s secure future and our people’s welfare is our top priority, and we are united in guaranteeing that.” Kharge said Shivakumar will remain the Congress’s Karnataka state president until Parliamentary elections are over.
20 May
Day the K’taka Cabinet will take oath
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