Next CM of Karnataka: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to decide soon, says Randeep Surjewala
2 min read . Updated: 15 May 2023, 06:42 AM IST
PremiumCongress leader Randeep Surjewala on Sunday said that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will not take long to decide on the name of the next Chief Minister of Karnataka.Newly elected Congress MLAs authorized Kharge had authorized Kharge to decide on the name for the next Chief Minister
Senior Congress leader and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday said that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will not take long to decide on the name of the next chief minister of Karnataka. Congress is facing the dilemma of choosing between party stalwarts DK Shivkumar and Siddaramaiah after winning a thumping majority in the state.
While speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday, Surjewala said, "Party leadership will take a decision. I can't replace my judgement with Kharge Sahab's judgement. He is our senior, and as you all know him. He is the son of the soil of Karnataka, and I'm sure he will not take very long."
On Sunday, all newly elected Congress MLAs in Karnataka met for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at a hotel in Bengaluru. The meeting lasted till 1:30 and was attended by leaders like Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, KC Venugopal, and Jairam Ramesh while Former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and party leaders Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria were present as observers in the meeting.
During the CLP meeting, all legislators unanimously authorized Congress President Malikarjun Kharge to choose the next Chie Minister of Karnataka in a one-line resolution. The resolution read, "The Congress Legislature Party unanimously resolves that AICC President is hereby authorised to appoint the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party,"
Meanwhile, Randeep Surjewala on Sunday also informed that the opinion of all Congress MLAs has been recorded and the observers will now submit a report to the Congress President who will decide on the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. He added that the Congress observers met separately with each MLA and recorded their opinion on the next CM.
Mallikarjun Kharge appointed three leaders as observers for the election of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader in Karnataka namely, former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Congress leaders Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria.
Congress won a thumping majority in Karnataka winning 135 of 224 seats in the state. BJP, however, lost the only state it ruled in the southern part of the country and was reduced to 66 seats and JD (S) won just 19 seats.
(With inputs from ANI)