Siddaramaiah To Be Next Karnataka Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar His Deputy

Siddaramaiah will be the next Karnataka Chief Minister as the Congress managed to placate DK Shivakumar after two days of hectic parleys following the party’s emphatic win in the assembly elections.

"I have to accept the high command's decision," Shivakumar told NDTV in an interview. "Personal interest is next, party interest is first."

Siddaramaiah will be the next Karnataka Chief Minister, and Shivakumar will be the sole Deputy Chief Minister, KC Venugopal, general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, said in a press conference in Delhi on Thursday.

Shivakumar will also continue as Karnataka Congress chief till the Lok Sabha elections.

The Indian National Congress swept the Karnataka assembly election after a decisive win, securing 136 seats out of the total 224. This includes Melukote winner Darshan Puttannaiah of Karnataka Sarvodaya Paksha, who was backed by the Congress.

The Bharatiya Janta Party and Janata Dal (Secular) won 66 and 19 seats, respectively.

Talking to NDTV, Shivakumar said he accepted the high command's decision "like we have to accept a court verdict".

"We left it to the high command, they decide. It is the party's interest over personal interest," he said. "It is a verdict. Lot of us will be arguing in court. Ultimately, what judge said, has to be accepted."

"Ultimately, for various reasons, suppose if we have not won, what would have been the position? Now, we have won, we have to get the fruit. It is not me alone, lakhs and lakhs of workers have done their best. We will have to look at their end also," the Karnataka Congress chief said.

Addressing media personnel, Congress spokesperson and Karnataka state in-charge Rajdeep Surjewala said that the legislature party will meet today evening.

Siddaramaiah will take oath as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka at 12.30 p.m. on May 20, Surjewala said.