“Shows internal situation in Congress”: Bommai on suspense over next Karnataka CM

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 17 (ANI): Outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the ongoing suspense over the chief ministerial face by Congress shows the “internal situation” in the party.

Congress has been holding deliberations over the Karnataka chief minister’s post, following the party’s win in the assembly polls on May 13. Top contenders for the post including DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have been camping in the national capital, meeting the party’s top leaders.

Speaking to the media, Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress party should choose a chief minister at the soonest.

“Congress is yet to finalise its CM candidate in spite of getting a majority. This shows the internal situation in the party. The aspirations of people are more important than politicking. Congress should choose a chief minister as soon as possible,” Bommai said.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the Karnataka Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday tendered his resignation to Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress working president Eshwar Khandare on Wednesday said that the suspense over the decision of the next Chief Minister of the State would likely end by this evening.

Earlier in the day Khandare, who is in the national capital, called on the Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter’s residence.

“I met the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge and discussed the recent developments in Karnataka…Only high command will decide, we are 100 per cent united. Decision maybe by today evening,” Khandare told reporters here.

Meanwhile, earlier today Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met with party leader Rahul Gandhi separately at 10 Janpath, the residence of MP and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the national capital.

The results of assembly polls were declared on Saturday and the newly-elected Congress MLAs on Sunday authorised Kharge to take a decision. With the action shifting to Delhi, both Siddaramaiah, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Shivakumar reached Delhi.

The Congress won 135 seats in the recently held election to the 224-member Karnataka assembly.