<p>Siddaramaiah will become Karnataka Chief Minister for the second time while his challenger in party DK Shivakumar settled for Deputy Chief Minister, as the Congress on Thursday early morning capped five days of wrangling.</p>.<p>The leadership has not given any assurance to Shivakumar on changing the Chief Minister as part of a power-sharing formula, as the party felt that such a decision and its announcement would create further trouble in other states. </p>.<p>The swearing-in ceremony has been fixed for Saturday 12:30 PM where Congress is inviting top Opposition leaders for a show of strength. A bunch of ministers will be sworn in along with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar while an expansion may happen later.</p>.<p>While the uncertainty created restlessness within the party, the High Command on Wednesday evening decided to shift the gears and decided to tame the two warring leaders to a formula agreed upon by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.</p>.<p>Hectic meetings followed and a deal considering all aspects was clinched Wednesday night – Siddaramaiah would head the government keeping the Lok Sabha elections particularly in mind.</p>.<p>At the same time, 61-year-old Shivakumar’s utility was also not ignored and the leadership decided to accept some of his demands while persuading him to become deputy to the 75-year-old leader. Congress decided to junk the ‘one man, one post’ diktat in the case of Shivakumar, who will continue as Karnataka Congress president till Lok Sabha elections next year.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/karnataka/bjp-leaders-attack-siddaramaiah-for-fall-of-congress-jds-coalition-government-in-2019-1219468.html" target="_blank">BJP leaders attack Siddaramaiah for fall of Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019</a></strong></p>.<p>Siddaramaiah initially had reservations about only one Deputy Chief Minister as he argued that there should be more deputies from Lingayat, Muslim and Dalit communities. However, the leadership said that would be an “injustice” to Shivakumar. </p>.<p>Sources said Shivakumar, when presented with the proposal, initially persisted with his demand to be made the Chief Minister but he was firmly told that he has to fall in line. Shivakumar did not press further even as both the leaders to ensure that Congress perform well in Lok Sabha elections.</p>.<p>“We have decided on Siddaramiah as the chief minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar will be the only Deputy CM," Venugopal told a press conference. He said both are “big assets” of the party and were “justified” in their “wish and desire” to be the Chief Minister.</p>.<p>Asked whether there will be power sharing between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, he said the only power-sharing formula is to share the power with the people of Karnataka. When asked whether there are no rotational Chief Ministers, he told <em>DH</em>, “No. I have already said that.”</p>.<p>Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had been at each other’s throats for the post of Chief Minister since Congress romped home to power with an impressive win against the ruling BJP on May 13. A CLP meeting on Sunday had authorised Kharge to choose the next Chief Minister.</p>.<p>However, both leaders did not arrive at a consensus till Wednesday late evening and insisted that they should be made the sole Chief Minister.</p>.<p>Sources said initially Shivakumar was reluctant to become Deputy Chief Minister under Siddaramaiah but Kharge managed to find a middle path after Sonia’s involvement in the negotiations. </p>.<p>Earlier, there was a proposal to have three Deputy Chief Ministers from Lingayat, Muslim and Dalit communities but in the new formula, sources said, it was decided to have just one Deputy Chief Minister. </p>.<p>The last four days saw intense discussions with both sides pointing out their strengths and the rivals’ weaknesses. Siddaramaiah told the party leadership that Shivakumar as Chief Minister would be problematic as the party had won on an anti-corruption plank and with him facing cases, it would be difficult.</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah also said that he is the popular face and vote catcher and he commands the respect of Muslims and backward caste voters, who would be decisive in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also does not share a great relationship with Shivakumar as he had not inducted him in the 2013 ministry for almost six months and it took the party high command’s intervention.</p>.<p>On the other hand, Shivakumar was of the view that Congress lost power after a five-year rule of Siddaramaiah. He was given the post of CLP leader but he could not perform better in Lok Sabha polls.</p>.<p>This is the second time 75-year-old Siddaramaiah, who had quit the JD(S) to join the Congress after HD Deve Gowda started promoting his son HD Kumaraswamy as his political heir, will be becoming the Chief Minister of Karnataka for the second time.</p>.<p>In 2o13, he pipped Kharge to become the Chief Minister. Shivakumar (61), known for his organisational skills and ability as a crisis manager that he displayed during the Rajya Sabha election of the late Ahmed Patel, became party chief in Karnataka after the Congress-JD(S) government fell in 2020.</p>.<p>Shivakumar is credited for steering the crisis-hit party in the past three years when “none were willing to be at the wheels” after desertions from the organisation to the BJP.</p>
<p>Siddaramaiah will become Karnataka Chief Minister for the second time while his challenger in party DK Shivakumar settled for Deputy Chief Minister, as the Congress on Thursday early morning capped five days of wrangling.</p>.<p>The leadership has not given any assurance to Shivakumar on changing the Chief Minister as part of a power-sharing formula, as the party felt that such a decision and its announcement would create further trouble in other states. </p>.<p>The swearing-in ceremony has been fixed for Saturday 12:30 PM where Congress is inviting top Opposition leaders for a show of strength. A bunch of ministers will be sworn in along with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar while an expansion may happen later.</p>.<p>While the uncertainty created restlessness within the party, the High Command on Wednesday evening decided to shift the gears and decided to tame the two warring leaders to a formula agreed upon by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.</p>.<p>Hectic meetings followed and a deal considering all aspects was clinched Wednesday night – Siddaramaiah would head the government keeping the Lok Sabha elections particularly in mind.</p>.<p>At the same time, 61-year-old Shivakumar’s utility was also not ignored and the leadership decided to accept some of his demands while persuading him to become deputy to the 75-year-old leader. Congress decided to junk the ‘one man, one post’ diktat in the case of Shivakumar, who will continue as Karnataka Congress president till Lok Sabha elections next year.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/karnataka/bjp-leaders-attack-siddaramaiah-for-fall-of-congress-jds-coalition-government-in-2019-1219468.html" target="_blank">BJP leaders attack Siddaramaiah for fall of Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019</a></strong></p>.<p>Siddaramaiah initially had reservations about only one Deputy Chief Minister as he argued that there should be more deputies from Lingayat, Muslim and Dalit communities. However, the leadership said that would be an “injustice” to Shivakumar. </p>.<p>Sources said Shivakumar, when presented with the proposal, initially persisted with his demand to be made the Chief Minister but he was firmly told that he has to fall in line. Shivakumar did not press further even as both the leaders to ensure that Congress perform well in Lok Sabha elections.</p>.<p>“We have decided on Siddaramiah as the chief minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar will be the only Deputy CM," Venugopal told a press conference. He said both are “big assets” of the party and were “justified” in their “wish and desire” to be the Chief Minister.</p>.<p>Asked whether there will be power sharing between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, he said the only power-sharing formula is to share the power with the people of Karnataka. When asked whether there are no rotational Chief Ministers, he told <em>DH</em>, “No. I have already said that.”</p>.<p>Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had been at each other’s throats for the post of Chief Minister since Congress romped home to power with an impressive win against the ruling BJP on May 13. A CLP meeting on Sunday had authorised Kharge to choose the next Chief Minister.</p>.<p>However, both leaders did not arrive at a consensus till Wednesday late evening and insisted that they should be made the sole Chief Minister.</p>.<p>Sources said initially Shivakumar was reluctant to become Deputy Chief Minister under Siddaramaiah but Kharge managed to find a middle path after Sonia’s involvement in the negotiations. </p>.<p>Earlier, there was a proposal to have three Deputy Chief Ministers from Lingayat, Muslim and Dalit communities but in the new formula, sources said, it was decided to have just one Deputy Chief Minister. </p>.<p>The last four days saw intense discussions with both sides pointing out their strengths and the rivals’ weaknesses. Siddaramaiah told the party leadership that Shivakumar as Chief Minister would be problematic as the party had won on an anti-corruption plank and with him facing cases, it would be difficult.</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah also said that he is the popular face and vote catcher and he commands the respect of Muslims and backward caste voters, who would be decisive in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also does not share a great relationship with Shivakumar as he had not inducted him in the 2013 ministry for almost six months and it took the party high command’s intervention.</p>.<p>On the other hand, Shivakumar was of the view that Congress lost power after a five-year rule of Siddaramaiah. He was given the post of CLP leader but he could not perform better in Lok Sabha polls.</p>.<p>This is the second time 75-year-old Siddaramaiah, who had quit the JD(S) to join the Congress after HD Deve Gowda started promoting his son HD Kumaraswamy as his political heir, will be becoming the Chief Minister of Karnataka for the second time.</p>.<p>In 2o13, he pipped Kharge to become the Chief Minister. Shivakumar (61), known for his organisational skills and ability as a crisis manager that he displayed during the Rajya Sabha election of the late Ahmed Patel, became party chief in Karnataka after the Congress-JD(S) government fell in 2020.</p>.<p>Shivakumar is credited for steering the crisis-hit party in the past three years when “none were willing to be at the wheels” after desertions from the organisation to the BJP.</p>
