Congress reaches breakthrough, DK Shivakumar agrees to be Number 2: 10 points

It is learnt that Shivakumar decided to make the "sacrifice" and agreed to be deputy chief minister in the interest of the party.

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday officially named Siddaramaiah as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, ending the four-day-long intense deliberations on the key question that has kept the political pundits on the edge of their seats.

1. The Congress finally announced Siddaramaiah for the top job in the key southern state with his rival and contender DK Shivakumar as his Deputy. DK Shivakumar will also continue to helm the Karnataka Congress unit the 2024 Parliamentary elections.
2. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on Saturday. Apart from the Gandhis, the Congress chief and the Congress Chief Ministers from various states, the grand old party has also invited opposition leaders of like-minded political parties for the event.
3. In a big breakthrough, the Congress has finally been able to convince DK Shivakumar to take the Number 2 job in the state. In a media interaction, Shivakumar said that he is willing to sacrifice his ambition for the time being 'in the larger interest of the party'.
4. "We have a commitment before the people of Karnataka. Parliament elections are ahead. So, I have to bow to the AICC president and the Gandhi family. In the larger interest of the party, I have agreed to the formula. And why not? Because sometimes the ice should break. Ultimately, there is a responsibility towards what we have a commitment to the people of Karnataka and we have to deliver," the state Congress Chief who had to forego of his ambitions said.
5. Congress MP DK Suresh, Shivakurmar's brother who did not seem quite content with the announcement said, "I am not fully happy but in the interest of Karnataka, we wanted to fulfil our commitment...That is why DK Shivakumar had to accept. In future we will see, there is a long way to go...we will wait and see."
6. DK Shivakumar and Karnataka's new CM appointee Siddaramaiah arrived at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence Thursday morning after their meet with Congress General Secreatry K Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
7. In a congratulatory tweet, Kharge wrote, "Team Congress is committed to usher progress, welfare and social justice for the people of Karnataka. We will implement the 5 guarantees promised to 6.5 Cr Kannadigas."
8. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge held parleys past midnight and came to a solution between the two chief ministerial aspirants and decided in favour of Siddaramaiah for the top job.
9. A Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting has been called by Shivakumar Thursday evening in Bengaluru where the formal elections will take place. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief has written to all legislators, asking them to attend the meeting of newly-elected MLAs, MLCs and MPs at the Indira Gandhi Bhavan on Queen's Road at 7 pm.
10. The Congress has been facing its worst dilemmas in the last few days after it scored an emphatic victory in the May 10 elections. In a record victory, the Congress bagged 135 seats in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly. The ruling BJP and the former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.