Congress MLAs meeting in Bengaluru today, key decision on CM’s post

The Congress party in Karnataka has this evening called a meeting of its MLAs to deliberate on the tricky issue of who gets the top job after their thumping victory in the Karnataka assembly elections yesterday.

In the meeting, which Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said is scheduled for 6 pm at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bengaluru, the Congress Legislative Party is expected to pass a resolution leaving it to the Congress national president to decide the chief minister pick.

Sources said no final decision will be taken today, but views of all MLAs will be ascertained.DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister and leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah have both been vocal about their aspirations for the top post, raising fears of an unpleasant stand-off within the party if the matter isnt resolved.

DK Shivakumar has gone with his family and brother, Congress MP from Bangalore Rural DK Suresh, to a temple 120 km away from the state capital.Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, who held a joining press conference with the two top state party leaders last evening dedicating the victory to the people of the state and promising to implement welfare schemes promised in the party manifesto, is headed back to Delhi this afternoon to meet Sonia Gandhi.

He wont be present at the big meeting in Bengaluru today.The scale of Congress victory is a record in terms of both seats and vote share in over 30 years.The party has won 135 seats -- 55 more than in 2018 -- with a vote share of 42.88 per cent.The closest the Congress came to this score was in 1999 when it won 132 seats and had a vote share of 40.84 per cent.In 1989, it won 178 seats with a vote share of 43.76 per cent.Murmurs of infighting gained traction yesterday, as DK Shivakumar yesterday reacted strongly to a comment by Mr Siddaramaiahs son that he should occupy the post again.

"The High Command will decide," said Mr Shivakumar.Unlike Siddaramaiah, Mr Shivakumar has always been a Congressman and has not lost a single election since his first electoral victory in 1989.

For his critics in the Congress, Siddaramaiah is still the "outsider", an import from another party.Mr Shivakumar, 61, yesterday broke down as he spoke about delivering on a promise to the Gandhis.

He also said he had not slept for three years, ever since he made the promise."I assured Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge that I will deliver Karnataka.

I cant forget Sonia Gandhi coming to meet me in jail," said the emotional Congress leader.On who would be Chief Minister, he said: "The Congress office is our temple.We will decide our next step at the Congress office.

" Siddaramaiah, 75, has repeatedly said this is his last electoral contest, hoping, perhaps, that the Congress will consider this while making its choice.