After the sweeping mandate in Karnataka Assembly elections, Congress is busy finalising the Chief Minister following open claims from senior leaders Siddaramaiah and D.K.Shivakumar.

Sources in the AICC told IANS that Siddaramaiah has put forward a suggestion that he was willing to share the Chief Minister position with Shivakumar.

However, Siddaramaiah, according to the sources, wants the first term and that he would demit office after the first two years with Shivakumar to follow in the rest of the term.

With the Kurba community and Vokkaliga community of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar respectively pitching for their community members, the Congress high command is in a difficult situation.

The Congress high command is likely to finalise the decision on Monday itself and there is a strong possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming the Chief Minister for the first term.

Sources in the party told IANS that Shivakumar will also agree for this arrangement but he has categorically informed the party high command that he should be made the single Deputy Chief Minister with home portfolio.

According to a senior leader of the Karnataka Congress, around 70 per cent of the elected legislators had supported Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister.

The final decision will be announced by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge after consulting the AICC observers – former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh, and Deepak Babariya.

The AICC president will have discussions with Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi as well as the AICC general secretary (Organisation), K.C. Venugopal, and AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed.)