Karnataka govt formation Live Updates 2023
With Karnataka win, Congress gets a template for other state polls, leverage at Oppn table
In sporting terms, the Karnataka Assembly elections can be termed as the quarter-finals and the elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana later this year the semi-finals ahead of the all-important Lok Sabha battle next year. The outcome of the Congress victory in Karnataka in many ways is a pointer to how the battle for supremacy in the general elections will shape up. The victory is a big morale booster for the Congress, which, barring the success in Himachal Pradesh in December, had not won a single state election since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The scale of the victory will help the Congress counter the narrative and perception that it loses out in direct fights with the BJP all the time. Given that four states will go to polls in the coming months, including Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh that it rules, the Karnataka victory gives the Congress the much-needed confidence to approach these polls aggressively and the political space to argue that it can still fire up the imagination of voters.
Siddaramaiah is set be the next Karnatak, reports ANI. DK Shivakumar will be taking oath as the deputy chief minister. The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Bengaluru on May 20, 2023.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at a consensus for the formation of the state government.
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with an Express account.
One of the key reasons behind the Congress party’s spectacular performance in the Karnataka Assembly elections is its significant gains in the rural and backward districts across the state, where its rivals, the BJP and JD(S), lost considerable ground.
Four days after the Congress registered an emphatic victory in Karnataka, uncertainty clouded the exercise to name the next Chief Minister despite former Chief Minister Siddaramiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief D K Shivakumar, the two contenders for the top job holding separate meetings with party leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Shivakumar also had a lunch meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The party high command is now hoping that Sonia Gandhi, who is in Shimla, intervenes to bring Shivakumar around. While party sources said Sonia was scheduled to return to Delhi on May 20, there is a possibility that she may arrive earlier.
With Shivakumar not backing down, sources said a proposal to give the post to a Dalit leader was now also on the table. So far, the central party leadership’s offers of a shared term with Siddaramiah or the Deputy Chief Minister’s post with some important portfolios are learnt to have received a lukewarm response from Shivakumar, complicating the government formation exercise. Read More
One of the key reasons behind the Congress party’s spectacular performance in the Karnataka Assembly elections is its significant gains in the rural and backward districts across the state, where its rivals, the BJP and JD(S), lost considerable ground.
A case in point is the performance of these parties in the elections in the state’s two most underdeveloped or aspirational districts – Raichur and Yadgir.
An analysis of the poll results shows that the Congress won most of the Assembly seats in Raichur and Yadgir, which account for a total of 11 seats. Of these, the Congress bagged seven seats, with the BJP and JD(S) winning two seats each. In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress had got just four seats in the two districts, with the BJP and JD(S) winning four and three seats respectively. Read More
Political leadership was an important issue in the Karnataka Assembly elections. It was also a demonstration of the authority structures of the national and regional leadership. Religious, ethical, communitarian, caste and cultural affiliations were at play. The media has tended to sensationalise the tensions and conflicts that arose in the representational arena, often characterising them as part of the naked pursuit of office. While personal ambitions cannot be ignored, these tensions often reflect the serious challenges faced by political parties.
The Congress campaign positioned the party as the upholder of democracy, social justice and constitutionalism and rallied against political exclusion, authoritarianism, centralisation of power, state partisanship, and corruption. This stance had a principled tilt towards regional leadership. For this, the Congress looked to Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar, M B Patil, Satish Jarkiholi and many others. They pooled together large social constituencies, which had been drifting towards the BJP for a while. They employed their caste, community and personal networks to make deep forays into the support constituencies of their opponents – such as Patil did in the Lingayat belt and Shivakumar among the Vokkaligas. They missed a savvy face in the urban expanses of Bengaluru, which could have been filled in by leaders such as Krishne Baire Gowda — or Shashi Tharoor. But this was not done in adequate measure. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi played a major supportive role. Kharge, the All-India Congress President, repeatedly called himself a “bhoomiputra”, son of the soil, delving deep into memories of being an “untouchable”. Express Opinion
Security was stepped up in Ramanagara, the home district of Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar, on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in light of his supporters staging protests at multiple places after some media outlets claimed that he lost the race for the Chief Minister's post to Siddaramaiah.
The move comes amid intense speculation over the next Chief Minister with the Congress saying a decision on it is likely later today or Thursday and a new Cabinet in the state would be in place in the next 48 to 72 hours.
An alert has been sounded in Ramanagara where police personnel were deployed at important public places and the district Congress office to prevent any untoward incident, official sources said. The police presence was beefed up in particular in Kanakapura where Shivakumar hails from and got re-elected to the Karnataka Assembly in the May 10 polls. (PTI)
Even as hectic parleys were on in New Delhi within the Congress central leadership to choose new Chief Minister for Karnataka, there were celebrations in the native village of Siddaramaiah and outside his Bengaluru residence on Wednesday amid reports in a section of the media that claimed that his name has been finalised for the post.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah's supporters who had gathered near official residence of the outgoing Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, were jubilant, as some media outlets claimed that his name had been finalised and only an official announcement was awaited. Holding pictures of their leader they shouted slogans praising Siddaramaiah, and poured milk on the life size cut out of the former CM that has been put up in front of his residence in Bengaluru. Similar scenes were witnessed in his home district of Mysuru, and native village of Siddaramanahundi.
For a long time, the Congress headquarters in Delhi had not seen the celebrations that erupted Saturday after the Karnataka results: drums, dancing, a sense of purpose in many a step of the Youth Congress men and women. Early in the day, when the Congress tally hovered around 113-114-116 leads, it seemed the Congress may either have to join hands with the Janata Dal(S) or it would be vulnerable to poaching — now or six months or a year down the line. But the Congress finished with a convincing number and 43% of the popular vote — a decisive mandate with an appeal cutting across castes and regions.
A senior BJP leader had predicted a day earlier that if the Congress won Karnataka, “unke andar ek ichha shakti jaag jayegi ki hum jeet sakte hain”. So far the Congress has been reconciled to losing with some exceptions like the recent win in Himachal Pradesh. This sense of a newly awakened optimism and confidence could make a difference in 2024.
Is Karnataka a one-off or does it hold replicable lessons for the Congress going to other state polls this winter — and finally the general elections due next year. The Neerja Chowdhury Column
As the suspense over who the next chief minister of Karnataka will be continued on Wednesday, the Congress hit back at the BJP over digs at the lack of clarity about who will lead the state, Siddaramaiah or D K Shivakumar.
“Just to refresh memories of PM’s drum-beaters especially. 2017 UP Vidhan Sabha election results out on March 11th. Yogi appointed CM 8 days later on March 19th. 2021 Assam Vidhan Sabha election results out on May 3rd. Himanta Biswa Sarma became CM 7 days later on May 10th. There are many more such examples,” Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted on Wednesday.
While the Karnataka election results were announced on Saturday, the Congress has not yet finalised its CM pick as both its state party president D K Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah want the position. Siddaramaiah is considered to be the front-runner, but Shivakumar is still said to be pushing his case. “Whenever we take the decision, today or tomorrow, we will announce it. It is a matter of today or tomorrow that we will have a new leader of the CLP (Congress Legislature Party),” All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala said in New Delhi. Read More
Outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the "inability" of the Congress to decide on the new Chief Minister early, despite having a complete majority, reflects on the internal situation of the party. He urged the Congress to settle the issue of government formation soon.
His comments came amid intense speculation over who will be the next chief minister, with the Congress saying on Wednesday afternoon that a decision on it is likely later today or Thursday, and a new Cabinet in the State will be in place in the next 48 to 72 hours.
"People have voted for the Congress party hoping that a change of government will bring a lot of prosperity to the state as well as the people. They are yet to finalise their CM candidate. It is their internal matter, I don't want to discuss much on that," he said in response to a question.
The "inability" to choose a CM early is a reflection on the party, Bommai claimed. "Despite having a complete majority, the party is unable to decide its leader. This shows the internal situation of the party." "Aspirations of the people are more important than politicking. They (Congress) should settle the issue of a new chief minister and government formation as soon as possible," he added. (PTI)
Karnataka's two chief ministerial aspirants Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar on Wednesday met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi separately amid hectic parleys in the Congress to decide on the candidate for the top post in the southern state. Karnataka Pradesh Congress chief D K Shivakumar met Gandhi after Siddaramaiah held a 30-minute meeting with the former party chief.
Dynasts, irrespective of party affiliation, continue to thrive in Karnataka politics as an analysis of the background of the newly elected MLAs shows that one-fifth are members of families at least one of whose members has held a political position or public office.
At least 61 candidates of the BJP, the Congress, and the Janata Dal (Secular) are from political families, including three father-son and two father-daughter duos and five sets of brothers, contested the elections. Of them, 43 were elected to the 224-member Assembly. Two Independents also hail from political families. There were quite a few dynasts who lost the election, including former CM H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil of the Janata Dal (Secular), who lost from Ramanagara; Congress leader Margaret Alva’s son Nivedith Alva who lost from Karwar in Uttara Kannada district; Leader of Opposition of outgoing Legislative Council B K Hariprasad’s nephew Rakshith Shivaram, who lost on a Congress ticket from Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district; BJP MP Sanganna Karadi’s daughter-in-law Manjula Amaresh who lost from Koppal in Kalaburagi district; and former minister Anand Singh’s son Siddharth Singh in Vijayanagara in Ballari district.
Of the father-son MLA duos, two are Shamunuru Shivashankarappa and his son S S Mallikarjun of the Congress and G T Devegowda and Harish Gowda of the JD(S). While Shivashankarappa and Mallikarjun won from Davanagere North and Davanagere South constituencies, Devegowda and Harish won from Chamundeshewari and Hunsur constituencies in Mysuru district. Read More
Nearly four days after the poll results in Karnataka, there is still no decision on who the chief minister will be. Many rounds of discussions in Karnataka and Delhi have failed to break the deadlock between senior Congress leaders and CM aspirants Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar.
Sources told The Indian Express that the party leadership is offering different formulae on sharing power between the two leaders, who were the architects of the party's impressive win in the state. Term-sharing is a possible way out, in which case, Shivakumar may not join the the government now, but will continue as the KPCC chief. The catch is that he would want a public assurance on term-sharing. Those close to Shivakumar have not confirmed that he is keen on power-sharing. Sources close to the High Command believe that's the way out.
As the suspense over the new Karnataka CM continues, state Congress in-charge Randeep Surjewala told reporters that deliberations are currently underway by party President Mallikarjun Kharge. He added that a new cabinet will be formed in Karnataka in the next 48-72 hours.
Supporters of senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah were seen celebrating and bursting firecrackers even as the suspense over the new Karnataka CM continues. They also poured milk on his poster and chanted slogans in his support outside his residence in Bengaluru.
Preparations are underway at Kanteerava stadium for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Karnataka CM on Thursday. However, the party has not finalised its chief ministerial face yet and the process of consultations is on. The results in Karnataka were declared on May 13. Earlier in the day, the top two contenders -- former CM Siddaramaiah and party state president D K Shivakumar -- met Rahul Gandhi at his residence in Delhi. On Tuesday, they held separate meetings with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Amid hectic parleys in the Congress to decide on the candidate for the top post in Karnataka, supporters of Congress leader DK Shivakumar gathered outside Rahul Gandhi's residence in Delhi, holding placards demanding chief ministership for the KPCC President.
While the Congress leadership in Delhi holds parleys between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to decide who will be the next chief minister of Karnataka, state Congress president Shivakumar on Wednesday received support from unlikely quarters.
Former ministers Dr K Sudhakar and S T Somashekar who were among the 17 Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) legislators to switch to the BJP in 2019 and topple the Congress-JD(S) government alleged on Thursday that Siddaramaiah, the former Chief Minister, was responsible for the collapse of the coalition government, Both of them are Vokkaligas, a community to which Shivakumar belongs. While Sudhakar was the Medical Education, and Health and Family Welfare Minister in the BJP government, Somashekar was the Cooperation Minister. Read more
KPCC chief and CM aspirant D K Shivakumar reached Rahul Gandhi's residence in Delhi. Earlier in the day, his rival Siddaramaiah had met Rahul. The meetings come a day after both the candidates met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Minister in the outgoing BJP government K Sudhakar on Wednesday questioned former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah whether he can deny the fact that he had no role, "implicitly or explicitly", in the move by Congress MLAs to quit the party when the coalition government was in office in 2019.
He raised the issue at a time when Siddaramaiah is in a stiff competition with state Congress president D K Shivakumar to become the CM, after Congress won the Assembly polls by securing 135 seats In a series of tweets, Sudhakar accused the Congress leader of assuring the MLAs that he won't allow the then H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government to continue even for a single day after 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)
Karnataka chief ministerial aspirant Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met Rahul Gandhi amid hectic parleys in the party to name its chief minister face in the southern state.
The meeting comes a day after Siddaramaiah met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence and held discussion with him over government formation.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress chief D K Shivakumar is also likely to meet Rahul Gandhi later in the day. (PTI)
The Congress on Wednesday hit out at the BJP for criticising it over the delay in deciding the chief minister of Karnataka, and cited examples when the BJP declared its chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh and Assam several days after winning the polls.
"Just to refresh memories of PM's drum-beaters especially. 2017 UP Vidhan Sabha election results out on March 11th. Yogi appointed CM 8 days later on March 19th. 2021 Assam Vidhan Sabha election results out on May 3rd. Himanta Biswa Sarma became CM 7 days later on May 10th," AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.
"There are many more such examples," he also said.
Earlier, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said a sorry state of affairs prevails in Congress where president Mallikarjun Kharge sees himself more as a "postman". "Want to watch circus? Watch the Congress select their CM in Karnataka," he said on Twitter. Referring to the lobbying by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the post of chief minister, he said, "The BJP also holds discussions and deliberations to elect its CMs and has often ensured smooth transition of power, even between CMs. Despite elaborate consultations, you will never find BJP aspirants falling over each other, rallying supporters and issuing veiled threats to the Party through the media".
What are some of the implications of the Congress’s emphatic and creditable win in Karnataka for national politics? At one level, it would be unwise to extrapolate from state to national elections. The logic of these elections is not always aligned. Nevertheless, the Karnataka result has implications for how we understand the evolution of national politics.
The first and perhaps most important lesson is that the BJP will find it, in most places, harder to win genuinely bipolar contests, where third parties in the state decline. Read Pratap Bhanu Mehta's piece
Sources said that the high command, too, seems to be divided with Rahul Gandhi saying they should defer to the views of the MLAs. It is learnt that most the of the newly-elected MLAs have backed Siddharamaiah.
Other senior leaders are of the view that Shivakumar should be rewarded for his hard work behind the Congress victory. At least one leader said Kharge too likes “fighters.” Read Manoj CG's report
The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a corruption case against KPCC chief DK Shivakumar today.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates.
Despite its assurance Monday, the Congress leadership did not announce the name of the Karnataka Chief Minister Tuesday as it continued working to broker a mutually acceptable peace deal between Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shivakumar who have been lobbying hard for the top post.
While Siddaramaiah, the former Chief Minister, is said to have the support of a majority of the MLAs, the state Congress president is pushing his candidature hard.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge met Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar separately after holding detailed discussions with Rahul Gandhi; AICC organisation general secretary K C Venugopal; and AICC in charge of Karnataka Randee Singh Surjewala earlier in the day. Read more
One of the back stories regarding Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s emergence as a frontrunner to be chief minister again, after the party’s recent election win, goes back to the middle of 2022 when a massive 75th birthday celebration was being planned by his supporters, with Rahul Gandhi in attendance.
The story is that Siddaramaiah was thinking of stepping away from contesting the 2023 elections if he was not likely to be considered for the post of CM and if the Congress was looking at a generational change in leadership with PCC chief D K Shivakumar at the forefront. Johnson T A writes...
? Karnataka Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar on Tuesday met party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here separately and discussed the modalities of government formation in the southern state.
? Shivakumar, who arrived in the national capital this morning from Bengaluru, reached Kharge's residence a little after 5 pm and held deliberations over the post of chief minister of Karnataka. He left after a 30-minute meeting and did not speak to the media.
? Soon after Shivakumar left, Siddaramaiah arrived at Kharge's residence at 10, Rajaji Marg after 6 pm, and the two leaders held discussions on the top post.
? Both Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah have staked their claim for the top post after the party staged a stunning victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls by winning 135 out of 224 seats. (PTI)
According to news agency ANI, there is no final decision yet on the CM post in Karnataka. Congress President has met all the stakeholders. Now the final decision will be taken by him in consultation with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. The announcement can be delayed until tomorrow and the announcement can be made in Bengaluru itself.
? Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, who is one of the top contenders for the state chief minister's post, on Tuesday said the party is his mother and there was no question of his resigning from the organisation.
? "My mother is my party, We have built this party. No question," he said when asked to comment on reports that he may resign from the party if not given the chief minister's post.
? "If any channel is reporting that I am resigning from the post, I will file a defamation case against them...Some of them are reporting that I will resign and all, all bull****. Nothing," he said.
? On whether he will also meet Rahul Gandhi, the Karnataka leader said, "I have to meet all leaders. First, I have to meet my Congress president." "My high command is there, my party is there, our MLAs are there - 135," Shivakumar said as he left the residence of his brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh. (PTI)
Amid intense lobbying for the Chief Minister's post in Karnataka, senior Congress leader G Paraeshwara on Tuesday said he was ready to take up the responsibility if the party high command asked him to run the government.
"If the high command decides and asks me to run the government, I'm ready to take up the responsibility," the former Deputy Chief Minister told reporters.
"I have faith in the party high command. I have certain principles. I can also take about 50 legislators and do the shouting, but for me the discipline of the party is important. If people like us don't follow things, there won't be any discipline in the party. I have said that if the high command gives me the responsibility, I will take it up. I have not said I won't.", he said.
"They (high command) too are aware that I have worked for the party, served it for eight years (as KPCC President) and brought it to power (in 2013). Also I have served as the Deputy Chief Minister. They know everything, there is nothing for us to say afresh. So I feel there is no need for me to ask for the post or lobby for it, and I'm quiet. That doesn't mean i'm incapable, I'm capable and if given an opportunity will do the job," he added. (PTI)
It is not as if the BJP was never defeated in the last nine years. Yet, the Karnataka outcome holds considerable significance. It signifies the possibility of engaging in a sustained contest with the BJP over its idea of what India, Hinduism and democracy mean. But the Karnataka verdict also has the possibility of being exaggerated. Perhaps the most critical aspect of this election was that it did not become a “Modi vs Rahul” contest.
Equally significantly, the outcome belies the hope and faith of BJP faithfuls that Narendra Modi can win them all elections. Over the past decade, all of the BJP campaigning is centred on the PM and therefore, if the credit for the many victories goes to him, the few defeats must also be laid at his door. If Modi could not win Karnataka for the BJP, it is a warning signal for the party in view of the parliamentary election next year. But it is necessary to also go beyond the persona of the PM so that we are not waylaid by antics and tactics but are able to focus on the substance of what he represents. (Read More)
As the Congress swept to power in Karnataka bagging 135 seats in the elections to the 224-member Assembly, the party circles credited their “4 S cards” for ensuring its best-ever performance in the state since 1989.
While two of these “4 S’s” include top state Congress leaders, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar and ex-chief minister Siddaramaiah, the third one is the poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
The fourth “S” in this key group of architects of the party’s victory is the 44-year-old ex-IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil, who headed the Congress’s war room in Bengaluru and played a key role in formulating the narrative against the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government over corruption through various ways. (Read More)
Amid a race for the Karnataka chief minister's post, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and is reported to have held discussions over government formation in the southern state. Gandhi drove to Kharge's residence and held a closed-door meeting with the Congress chief.
A few minutes ago, his car was seen leaving from the residence Mallikarjun Kharge.
Soon after touching down in the National Capital, Congress leader DK Shivakumar arrived at the office of his brother, DK Suresh. This comes a day after DK Suresh met with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and the rest of the Congress High Command.
The Congress party has emerged as the winner in the 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, with results on Saturday (May 14) showing a decisive haul of 135 seats in the 224-seat Assembly, comfortably past the majority mark of 113. Political analysts believe that one reason why India’s grand old party, which has not been in top form in recent elections, scored a win here was because of a deliberate focus on local leadership and issues.
Rather than national figures such as Rahul Gandhi, two veteran state leaders were largely the faces of the campaign – former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee head DK Shivakumar. This has also meant that a Chief Ministerial face was never projected by the party, and any news of infighting or rivalry was smoothened with the two leaders participating together during campaigning.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has hinted there may be a setup where each leader is at the helm for two-and-a-half years each, out of the five-year term. Read the full explainer
Amid a race for the Karnataka chief minister's post, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and is reported to have held discussions over government formation in the southern state. Gandhi drove to Kharge's residence and held a closed-door meeting with the Congress chief.
Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala, who is in charge of the party's affairs in Karnataka, was also present at the meeting. Kharge has held discussions with party leaders from Karnataka and the three observers appointed by him to oversee the Congress Legislature Party meeting in Bengaluru on Sunday. Both Siddaramaiah and state Congress president D K Shivakumar are front runners for the chief minister's post and both are lobbying for it.
While former chief minister Siddaramaiah is in Delhi, Shivakumar cancelled his visit to the national capital on Monday evening citing health issues, fuelling speculations that all is not well in the party. Shivakumar arrived in the national capital Tuesday afternoon. After arriving at Delhi airport, he did not speak to the media and walked away with folded hands parrying a barrage of questions from reporters. (PTI)
The Congress party’s resounding win in the Karnataka Assembly polls is being seen by the Urdu press as a victory of the politics of public issues over the politics of hate and polarisation. The Urdu dailies believe that the Karnataka election outcome has widened the arc of silver lining in the perceived cloud of gloom and doom enveloping national politics, with one year to go for the 2024 general elections.
Among its multiple messages they find hope not only for the Congress, whose long losing streak has been broken now only for the second time since 2019, but also for the larger Opposition bloc as they close their ranks to face the BJP juggernaut in the grand showdown.
Over the week the dailies also highlighted the Supreme Court’s landmark judgments in the Maharashtra political crisis and the face-off between the Arvind Kejriwal government and the Centre over the control of services in Delhi, in which they read a booster for the Uddhav Sena-MVA as well as the AAP.
Read more.
Congress leader DK Shivakumar has arrived in New Delhi. He is set to meet the party's high command at the residence of Party President Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss government formation in Karnataka. Shivakumar and veteran leader Siddaramaiah are in the running for the CM post.
Earlier today, before departing for the National Capital, he had said he would not resort to "backstabbing" or "blackmail" regardless of the Congress' decision.
The decision on who will be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka will be taken in a democratic manner, Congress leader Pramod Tiwary assured, as he arrived at Party President Mallikarjun Kharge's New Delhi residence. Take a look:
Addressing the ongoing talks on government formation in Karnataka, Congress leader BK Hariprasad said due process was being followed.
We may be one step closer to knowing who the next Chief Minister of Karnataka will be. Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, arrived at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence for talks on government formation. We are awaiting confirmation on the arrival of DK Shivakumar, the man of the hour, and one of the main contenders for the CM post.
No two elections are the same. The shape and nature of the contest, the context, the ground situation, the protagonists all vary. That statutory warning aside, the Congress will surely want to carry the euphoria and momentum of its emphatic victory in Karnataka into the next round of Assembly elections, even as the BJP is expected to begin its poll efforts early to counter a Congress surge.
That means the coming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are set to be a fascinating political contest. The Congress, as also the larger Opposition, will have much at stake.
While Assembly elections are, of course, different from parliamentary polls as there are more variables at play, winning more and more states is crucial for the Opposition to hold off the BJP.
Besides, greater numbers in states can tilt the scales in the Rajya Sabha in favour of the Opposition. Of the three coming elections, the Congress believes it is on a better wicket in at least two – Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh – being already over the hump as far as clarity of leadership in the states goes. Read more.
As the BJP begins taking stock of its significant electoral loss in Karnataka and what led to it, one aspect that will come under critical review is the state leadership and its inputs that shaped the party’s campaign.
The BJP is waiting for its leaders who are still in their constituencies to return, before undertaking a formal analysis of the results. A party leader said: “The state as well as central leaders involved in electioneering will meet for a detailed analysis. We will see where we have lost badly, where the party has gone wrong and what steps to take to plug the loopholes in our strategy, ahead of the general election.”
Key to state-level campaign planning was general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, with most of the state BJP leaders seen as his confidants. These include BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kateel, national general secretary C T Ravi and prominent South Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya. Read more.
While the Congress' top leadership deliberates over the all-important Chief Ministerial post in Karnataka, trouble is brewing for the Grand Old Party in Karnataka.
Flanked by two ministers and 13 other MLAs in his biggest show of strength in recent months, Congress leader Sachin Pilot Monday gave a 15-day ultimatum to his own party’s government in Rajasthan to act on his three demands on corruption or face a state-wide agitation. Pushing the party further to the edge in the state where Assembly elections are due in December, Pilot and two ministers, Hemaram Choudhary and Rajendra Gudha, also targeted Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Concluding his five-day Ajmer-Jaipur Jan Sangharsh Yatra on Monday with a rally in the capital city’s outskirts, Pilot demanded that the corruption-ridden Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) be dissolved, reconstituted and backed by a new law.
He also sought compensation for “lakhs of students” who have suffered economically due to paper leaks, and a high-level inquiry into corruption cases under the earlier Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.
Read more.
The newly-elected Karnataka Congress MLAs have arrived at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence for a discussion on government formation in the Southern state, news agency ANI reported. We are still awaiting the arrival of state Congress President DK Shivakumar, who is a front runner for the CM role.