‘Will share power with people of Karnataka’: Congress announces Siddaramaiah as CM, Shivakumar his only deputy

“We decided to make Siddaramaiah the Chief Minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar will be the only one Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. He will continue as the PCC president till the Parliament election is over,” he said. A group of ministers will be sworn in on May 20 at 12.30 pm, he added.

Venugopal said the decision was taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after taking the opinion from Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other party senior leaders. “Our party is a democratic party. We believe in consensus, not in a dictatorship. In the last two to three days we were trying for a consensus,” he said.

Venugopal and AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have the ability to become the chief minister and lead the state. Venugopal said he saw nothing wrong in both of them staking a claim for the top post either.

According to Venugopal, Siddaramaiah is an experienced and the senior-most politician of the state as well as an able administrator. They said Siddaramaiah worked tirelessly and campaigned in every nook and corner of the state for the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Shivakumar, they said, was one of the dynamic organisers who electrified the cadre in Karnataka. “Wherever there was a little gap, he reached there and filled the gap…both are big assets for the party. It was a very good combination,” Venugopal said. “Everybody has their own wish, their own desire to become CM. Both deserved it also,” he added.

Venugopal said the party will invite leaders of like-minded parties for the oath-taking ceremony which will be attended by Kharge and the Gandhis.

Earlier in the day, Venugopal and Surjewala met Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over breakfast after which the two went to meet Kharge. The attempt was to project a united face after the days of wrangling and lobbying for the top post by the two veterans.