2023 Karnataka Elections: Siddaramiah reaches Delhi, while Shivakumar cancels meeting

2023 Karnataka Elections: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah arrived in Delhi on Monday evening to meet the top leadership as the Congress is in the process of picking the next chief minister after the party's emphatic win in the state. However, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar cancelled his Delhi visit scheduled on Monday, citing stomach infection.

Siddaramiah is a contender for the post of Chief Minister.

Congress chief in Karnataka, DK Shivakumar, who is the other contender for the post, is also expected to reach Delhi.

After his arrival in Delhi, Siddaramiah did not interact with the reporters.

The newly-elected MLAs unanimously adopted a resolution on Sunday authorising party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to choose the leader of the Congress legislature party.

AICC observers for Karnataka- Sushil Kumar Shinde, Deepak Bawaria and Jitendra Singh - have also reached Delhi and have submitted their report to the party leadership of their discussions with the MLAs.

Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru that the party won 135 seats under his leadership.

"It is my birthday today, I will meet my family. Afterwards, I will leave for Delhi. Under my leadership, we have 135 MLAs. All in one voice said that the matter (to appoint CM) is to be left to the party's high command. My aim was to deliver Karnataka and I did it," he said.

"Congress high command called me and Siddaramaiah to Delhi. Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge had given me the post of president. When MLAs left our party and we lost our government, I did not lose hope. I do not want to disclose what has happened in the last five years. I'm a single man, I believe in one thing that a single man with courage becomes a majority," he added.

Randeep Surjewala, who is AICC incharge of Karnataka, has said that Mallikarjun Kharge will not take long and name of the next chief minister of Karnataka will be announced soon.

Congress trounced BJP in Karnataka and came to power with a resounding majority in the assembly polls.

While Congress won 135 seats, BJP could win only 66, and Janata Dal-Secular was reduced to 19 seats in the 224-member assembly.