DK Shivakumar rejects Deputy CM proposal, supporters of Siddaramaiah celebrate

The Congress leadership met Karnataka chief ministerial aspirants Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in New Delhi on Tuesday but both sides refused to cede ground despite hectic negotiations as the party grappled to strike a delicate balance that would satisfy the two stalwarts. Now the latest buzz is that DK Shivakumar has rejected Deputy CM proposal by Congress leadership. Siddaramaiah was proposed to be the CM. On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi met both Sidddaramaiah and Shivakumar at Sonia Gandhi's residence. The party is likely to make official announcement of the next Karnataka's CM by evening. Meanwhile, supporters of senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah celebrate and burst firecrackers ahead of the decision on Karnataka CM post.

Randeep Surjewala dismissed speculative reports that Siddaramaiah was likely to be named the chief minister once again."Delibrations are currently underway by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Whenever Congress makes a decision we will inform you. In the next 48-72 hours, we will have a new cabinet in Karnataka," he told reporters here.Former Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday said, the fight for the Chief Minister post in Congress will continue for the next five years. "Congress party is a leisure party, for five years the fight for the post of chief minister will continue in the party. People of all caste communities are demanding the post of Chief Minister in the Congress party, this is the culture of the Congress party," Jnanendra said.The Congress is yet to declare the name of the Chief Minister of Karnataka. Notably, in 2017, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) had also taken a week after election results were announced to declare Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.