Siddaramaiah

According to reports, Shivakumar, who met Kharge for around 45 minutes, stressed that he took over the job as Congress chief in Karnataka when no one was ready to accept it.Additionally, he said that if he is denied the CM chair, he would prefer working only as an MLA in the party.

Despite staging a stunning victory in the Karnataka election 2023, Congress still has no answers on who will be the state's next chief minister - Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar.

On May 10 elections, the Congress registered a thumping victory in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly by winning as many as 136 seats. The ruling BJP and the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) bagged 66 and 19 seats, respectively.

State Congress chief DK Shivakumar, one of the two contenders for the post, will fly to Delhi today. Before leaving from Bengaluru, he said, "Whether they like me or not, I am a responsible man. I will not backstab and I will not blackmail."

Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader Siddaramaiah has already reached Delhi to meet the top Congress leadership as the party engaged in the process of picking the next Karnataka CM.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has unanimously authorised All India Congress Committee (AICC) President M Mallikarjun Kharge to pick its leader, who will be the next chief minister of the state.

On Monday, the three central observers deputed by the Congress returned to the national capital after speaking individually to the newly elected MLAs. The observers will hand over the report on the views expressed by all the newly elected MLAs to party president Mallikarjun Kharge soon.

Senior party leaders Randeep Surjewala, KC Venugopal and three observers appointed by the party will oversee the process of appointing the new chief minister and will also land in Delhi today.

DK Shivakumar, the man largely credited for the Congress party's victory in the Karnataka polls, cut cake and celebrated on the sidelines of the CLP meet. Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature Party decided that the final call on the next Karnataka chief minister will be taken by Mallikarjun Kharge.

In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly, the Congress won 135 seats, while the ruling BJP and the former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19, respectively.