Several aspirants for Karnataka CM post, ball in Congress high command's court

Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are the main aspirants for the post of CM. The others are Dr. G. Parameshwar, MB Patil, Dinesh Gundurao, RV Deshpande, Shamanur Sivashankarappa, Satish Jarakiholi and Ramalinga Reddy. The name of Mallikarjuna Kharge is also doing the rounds.

Bengaluru:After achieving a landslide victory in Karnataka, Congress now heads to form the government with absolute majority. The biggest challenge before the party is to decide the new chief minister of the state.

Many Congress candidates are eyeing for the coveted post with some in the forefront and others nurturing their desire from behind. The two main aspirants for the chief minister's chair is Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar.

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had openly expressed their desire to become the chief minister several times in the past. Currently, the ball is in the Congress high command's court. The party high command needs to work out a formula that will satisfy both the leaders.

Among the other leaders eyeing for the post are former DCM and dalit leader Dr. G. Parameshwar who has publicly said that he is a CM aspirant and also a contender for the post. Speculations are rife that AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge himself can be selected as the new chief minister of Karnataka.

There is a strong feeling that if Dalit leader Kharge is appointed as the CM then everyone will accept the leadership's decision. But, in order to go ahead with this move, the high command has to first consider the pros and cons of removing him from the post of AICC president.

Next, it is no secret that Lingayat leader MB Patil is also targeting for the post of CM, a move that will boost the confidence of the Lingayat community. Besides, former KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao, ninth time MLA RV Deshpande, senior Lingayat leader Shamanur Sivashankarappa and senior leaders Satish Jarakiholi and Ramalinga Reddy are also said to be other aspirants for the post.

In the past, all these leaders have indirectly expressed their desire for the post of CM. The legislative party meeting of the Congress will be held this evening to decide on the new CM along with several other matters.