Bengaluru: Heading towards a resounding victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress has called a meeting of the legislative party tomorrow.
The counting of votes for assembly elections has been completed and Congress is set to secure an absolute majority with 136 seats. Now, the party will go ahead with crucial move of forming the government with the next challenge being the decision of who would be the new chief minister of Karnataka, a congress source said.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar and former chief minister and leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah are both aspirants for the chief minister's post. Earlier in the day Siddaramaiah's son said that his father should become the chief minister. Shivakumar was quick to respond, saying the party high command would take a decision on it.
Siddaramaiah told in Mysuru that the Congress Legislative Party meeting has been called tomorrow. "I had said that we would get 130 seats and my predictions have come to be true," he added. After winning Kanakapura for the eighth consecutive term, an emotional Shivakumar said he had assured Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi of delivering in the elections.
Also Read: Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar? Who'll become Karnataka CM?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the chief minister's selection is done through a process. "A meeting of the MLAs is called, party observers join in and opinion is sought from them. The high command will decide on who will become the new chief minister of Karnataka. The due procedure will be followed. Rahul Gandhi and all leaders will be there and a decision will be taken together," Kharge said.
Soon after Congress took lead in over 120 seats, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai accepted defeat saying the BJP would conduct a detailed analysis of the results. He said that the party had worked very hard but could not win absolute majority.
