Karnataka CM tussle: Let's leave the matter to high command, says Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Congress' Karnataka President D.K. Shivakumar on Monday quipped that he does not have a single MLA on his side, as "all the 135 MLAs who won in the elections belong to the Congress".

"Let's leave the matter of CM to the high command," he said.

Addressing reporters, Shivakumar said that he is the single man and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will take a call on the leadership matter. "When I became KPCC President, Sonia Gandhi has assured me... When the coalition (with JD-S) government collapsed in Karnataka and we lost 15 MLAs, I did not budge and built the party," he said.

Shivakumar stated that he will go to New Delhi after meeting his spiritual guru.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has reached New Delhi to meet the high command. Former Ministers Zameer Ahmad Khan, M.B. Patil, K.J. George and Congress MLA Bhyrathi Suresh have accompanied Siddaramaiah.

Supporters of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had started poster war claiming that their leader is the future CM of Karnataka.

The Congress Legislature Party Meeting had passed a resolution leaving the matter of selection of the CM to Kharge.

Meanwhile, Lingayat seers have met and demanded that since 39 Lingayat MLAs have been elected, the DCM post should be given to them.

Rambhapuri seer, an influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat seer has stated that Congress also won due to support of Lingayat community and DCM post should be given to the community.