Cong MLAs to meet today, will Siddaramiah be next Karnataka CM?

After its thumping victory in the Karnataka elections, Congress MLAs will meet today to pick the next Chief Minister of the state and former Leader of Opposition K Siddaramiah is the front runner.

“Senior minister AK Antony, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Madhusudan Mistri, Luizinho Faleiro, who was Karnatataka’s screening committee chairman, and Union Minister Jitender Singh are going as AICC observers to Karnataka tomorrow,” party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi had said yesterday.

The other top contender for the top post is veteran leader and Union Labour and Employment Minister M Mallikarjuna Kharge.

However Siddaramaiah, a former Deputy Chief Minister, who joined Congress in 2006, carries the “outsider tag”. He also sought to play the sympathy card by announcing that the 5 May elections was the last poll of his life.

Kharge is a seasoned politician and had served as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President and Leader of Opposition.  The name of Union Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily is also doing the rounds.

Others who have thrown their hats in the ring include former KPCC President RV Deshapande, former Working President of KPCC D K Shivakumar, senior Lingayat Shyamanur Shivashankarappa and TB Jayachandra who served as Deputy Floor Leader of Congress in the outgoing Assembly.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief G Parameshwara, who was said to be in the running for the post had his chances severely dented when he lost his seat in the polls.