Even as suspense continues on who will helm the new government in Karnataka, reports said that the Congress leadership was considering a power-sharing formula between Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar, the two strong claimants for the chief minister's post.
As per the agreement, reports claimed, Siddaramaiah will take over as the chief minister while Shivakumar will continue as the KPCC president for the first two and a half years. In the second term, Shivakumar will be elevated to the CM post, they said.
An official announcement is likely after Sonia Gandhi, who is currently in Shimla, reaches Delhi.
According to local media, even though Shivakumar was offered the deputy chief minister post, he is unlikely to accept it.
Both Siddaramaiah (75) and Shivakumar (60) met party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence on Tuesday evening. Kharge is now scheduled to have another round of discussions with the central leaders as also leaders from the state before a decision is made official.
According to party sources, what is working for Siddaramaiah are his OBC identity, the support he has among the backward classes, dalits and minorities, his pan Karnataka acceptance and his experience in administration.
However, Shivakumar is learnt to have made a strong claim, citing the fact that he had taken over the organisation when the party was in dire straits and, as promised to the high command, delivered Karnataka.
Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Kharge at his residence and held discussions over government formation in the southern state.
Kharge had held a meeting with the three central observers, who had interacted with newly elected MLAs and sought their views on the chief minister selection, on Monday evening. Sushilkumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria met Kharge at his residence where general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal and general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala were also present.
After the meeting, Surjewala told reporters the party would announce its decision by Tuesday evening.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been locked in an intense power struggle over who will lead the new government in the state after the party's stupendous victory in the Assembly elections. Both the leaders have made no secret of their ambition to become the chief minister. They were lobbying hard for it with supporters of each one raising the pitch in support of their leader. A poster war by supporters of both leaders also erupted soon after the party won the election.
Congress stormed to power in the state in the May 10 elections after winning 135 seats. The BJP was reduced to 66 seats while the JD(S) could bag just 19 seats.
