Bangalore: Amid speculations about the number of MLAs supporting him and senior party colleague Siddaramaiah for the post of Karnataka Chief Minister, state Congress president DK Shivakumar said Monday his strength is 135, as under his presidency, the party won the same number of seats in the Assembly polls. DK Shivakumar along with Siddaramaiah has been called to Delhi by the Congress high command Monday evening. Shivakumar however, said he will be going there late due to personal commitments.
The Congress central leadership will be deciding on the new Chief Minister, after its observers submitted a report on the opinion of the MLAs which they collected in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting here Sunday.
“We had made a one line resolution, stating we will leave the matter to party high command, after that some might have shared their personal opinion. I don’t have the strength to speak about other’s numbers, my strength is 135. I’m the party president and under my presidency, the party has won 135 seats in Karnataka, against the double engine government, the corrupt administration and suffering of the people. People have supported us and made us win 135 seats,” Shivakumar said.
“There has been praise from across the country about Congress’ campaign and unity in Karnataka. However, the time was not enough and if there was more cooperation from the local level we could have done even better and increased the numbers, but we are happy,” the senior Congress leader added.
The CLP, which met at a private hotel here Sunday evening, passed a unanimous resolution authorising All India Congress Committee (AICC) president M Mallikarjun Kharge to pick its leader, who will be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Shivakumar also explained why he will be late in going to Delhi. “Since today is my birthday, a lot of people have come to wish me. I have to visit my deity with my family. Only after going there, I will leave for Delhi. I don’t know what time I will be going to Delhi. I will take whichever flight is available,” Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar pointed out that the CLP has passed a single line resolution leaving it to high command to decide on the Chief Minister. “Under my leadership 135 MLAs – all of them with one voice have said that the matter should be left to high command,” asserted Shivakumar.
“I don’t have any single number or personal number (of MLAs supporting), whatever my number is Congress number. I had assured former AICC president Sonia Gandhi when she appointed me as KPCC chief, also Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge (former and current AICC chiefs) that my aim was to deliver a Congress government in Karnataka,” asserted the Congress leader.
Shivakumar did not want to respond to a question on claims by other leaders. “I don’t want to answer any claims or anything. I’m a single man, I believe in one thing that a single man with courage makes a majority. I have proved it. I don’t want to disclose what all has happened in the last five years and at a future point of time I will disclose,” he said.
In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the Congress scored an emphatic victory with 135 seats, while the ruling BJP and the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.