The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting has commenced at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru to select the new leader who will be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. There are strong indications that D.K. Shivakumar, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, will be chosen as the CLP leader. AICC General Secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and K.C. Venugopal are overseeing the proceedings.
Several Congress legislators are confident that the meeting will be brief with the sole agenda of endorsing Shivakumar’s leadership. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh is also present as an observer. Venugopal mentioned that the official announcement of the new Chief Minister is expected to be made during the CLP meeting itself.
Before entering the legislature building, Shivakumar paid his respects at the Vidhana Soudha steps. Congress MLA H.C. Balakrishna expressed pride in Shivakumar’s elevation, stating that it was a significant moment for the district. Nayana Motamma, another Congress MLA, described Shivakumar as her political mentor and expressed happiness over his likely promotion.
MLA Thammaiah highlighted the certainty of Shivakumar’s selection as the Chief Minister, emphasizing that the meeting would likely conclude swiftly. He expressed confidence in Shivakumar’s ability to provide good governance and strengthen the party. The focus currently remains on electing the CLP leader, with discussions on cabinet formation to follow later.
Former minister Zameer Ahmad Khan stressed the unity among Congress legislators in supporting the high command’s decision. The creation of Deputy Chief Minister posts and other related discussions will be left to the party leadership. Senior Congress leader R.V. Deshpande mentioned that the CLP meeting aims to formally elect the new leader in the presence of party observers.
MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah clarified that the primary agenda of the meeting is to elect the CLP leader, dismissing any speculation about his potential elevation as Deputy Chief Minister. Priyank Kharge confirmed that the CLP leader’s name would be sent to the Governor once elected. Former minister Eshwar Khandre expressed confidence that the CLP leader would be chosen unanimously.
