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Siddaramaiah named Karnataka CM. Sonia Gandhi's call to DK Shivakumar sealed the deal? 10 points
The Congress central leadership on Thursday announced that Siddaramaiah would be Karnataka CM, while DK Shivakumar would be his only deputy.
Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday invited chief minister-designate Siddaramaiah and his to-be deputy DK Shivakumar to take oath along with team members at Kanteerava Stadium Bengaluru at 12.30pm on May 20.
Ending days of suspense, the Congress central leadership earlier on Thursday announced that Siddaramaiah will be the chief minister, while state party chief Shivakumar would be his only deputy.
Top updates on Karnataka government formation:
1. A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) formally elected Siddaramaiah as its leader and chief minister of Karnataka, following which he staked his claim with the governor, who invited him to form the government.
2. The meeting of newly elected Congress MLAs, MLCs and MPs, which took place at Indira Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru, was also attended by AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and two other central observers -- former Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar Shinde and AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh.
3. According to Surjewala, Shivakumar moved a resolution to elect Siddaramaiah as the new leader of the CLP. All the members of the CLP endorsed it unanimously.
4. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were given a rousing welcome when arrived in Bengaluru this evening.
5. Several top Congress leaders from party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were involved in hectic parleys with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar which finally helped to break the logjam over the top post in Karnataka.
6. Some reports claimed that Sonia Gandhi, who was away in Shimla on a vacation, acted as a peacemaker in the chief minister's face crisis. The deal was clinched after Sonia Gandhi spoke to Shivakumar, who is considered a loyalist to the Gandhi family, on Wednesday night to end the impasse. Sonia Gandhi also asked Shivakumar to speak to Kharge and Rahul to sort out the matter, PTI reported.
7. The final decision was made on Wednesday night at Kharge's residence and was followed up with a meeting at AICC general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal's residence over breakfast the next day.
8. On Monday, the hectic parleys continued and went on till the wee hours of Thursday to break the deadlock as both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar presented their cases before the brass. The leadership issue in Karnataka lingered as Shivakumar had dug his heels in and asserted that he be made the chief minister as the party staged a stunning victory in the southern state under his presidency.
9. PTI, citing sources, said Rahul Gandhi told Shivakumar that the one with the support of a majority of MLAs would become the chief minister and others would have to abide, indicating that Siddaramaiah would be the chief minister and Shivakumar would have to relent.
10. To maintain his number 2 position in the Karnataka government, Shivakumar was made the only deputy chief minister.
