Siddaramaiah to be Karnataka CM, Shivakumar his deputy & PCC chief till 2024 poll: Congress

The Congress party on Thursday formally announced that senior leader Siddaramaiah will be the next chief minister of Karnataka. Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar will be the only deputy chief minister and will continue as Karnataka Congress chief till the 2024 elections, scheduled next year. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal on Thursday said: “Siddaramaiah is able administrator, tirelessly worked for the party. Similarly, KPCC chief Shivakumar also electrified the cadre of state.” 
 
He added: “Shivakumar will continue as the PCC president till the end of parliamentary elections. CM, Dy CM and a group of ministers will be sworn-in on 20th May."

When asked about the much-discussed power-sharing formula in Karnataka hinting at a rotational tenure for both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, Venugopal said: "Power sharing formula means sharing it with the people of Karnataka". He added that there will be no rotation, the CM will be there for 5 years. 

“Both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are both capable of becoming CM”, Randeep Surjewala, the AICC in-charge for Karnataka, said.

Following the announcement, deputy CM-designate Shivakumar took to Twitter and shared a photo of him with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah.

“Karnataka’s secure future and our people’s welfare is our top priority, and we are united in guaranteeing that,” Shivakumar tweeted.

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday too shared the same picture with Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar on Twitter and said, “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."

Earlier, Shivakumar said: "The Congress party 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.”  

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