Siddaramaiah CM, DK Shivakumar Deputy

New Delhi: After four days of hard negotiations, AICC on Thursday announced Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka and PCC president DK Shivakumar as his only deputy in the soon-to-formed cabinet. The two leaders, who were in a tight race for the top post, would take oath along with other ministers on May 20 and leaders of all like-minded parties will be invited for the swearing-in ceremony.

Announcing the decision taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after hectic parleys ever since the party emerged victorious on May 13, general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said all leaders, including the top leadership, worked very hard to make Karnataka victory a reality. "We have decided on Siddaramaiah as the chief minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar will be the only Deputy CM," he said. Shivakumar will also continue as the party's president of Karnataka till Parliamentary elections are over. The swearing-in ceremony would be held on May 20 at 12.30 pm, he said.

At the same press conference, senior party leader Randeep Surjewala said the Congress party is committed to fulfil the five promises that were made during the elections and action would be taken on them in the first meeting of the cabinet.

Asked about the much-talked-about power-sharing formula between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, Venugopal said the only power-sharing formula is to share the power with the people of Karnataka. "Ours is a democratic party, we believe in consensus and not in dictatorship," he said.

Crediting the people of the state and party leaders in Karnataka for the "spectacular" victory, he said this election was clearly a fight between the poor and the rich.

The poor and middle class have stood with the Congress party. He also gave credit to Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for the victory in the polls and thanked them for campaigning and guiding the party rank and file.