Still, stuck in closed door

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge have offered two options to DK Shivakumar, all but the Chief Minister's post, according to sources. However, the Karnataka Congress chief remains adamant on the top job, the sources said.

The first offer is the sole deputy Chief Minister's post and six ministries of his choice, along with the Karnataka Congress chief's post staying with him. The second is a sharing agreement for the top post, with Siddaramaiah being the Chief Minister for the first 2.5 years, the sources said.

After the multiple rounds of discussions, AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said a decision on the new cabinet will be in place in the next 48-72 hours.

He also claimed that Karnataka will have a five-year-long stable government of the Congress and urged people not to believe in speculation and "fake news", which he alleged was being peddled by the BJP. Later in a tweet, Surjewala said all Congress leaders have been advised not to issue statements on the leadership matter. "Any out of turn remarks made from here onwards will be treated as indiscipline and action taken accordingly."

Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief Shivakumar have held several parleys with senior Congress leadership and presented their respective cases before them. Siddaramaiah is considered the front-runner while Shivakumar has dug his heels for the top post claiming that the assembly elections were won under his presidentship and that he has worked hard for ensuring this victory.

A section of the top Congress leadership feels Siddaramaiah's popularity among several sections including the poor, OBCs and minorities can get votes for the party in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the media outside Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's 10 Rajaji Marg residence, Surjewala said the party chief has been authorised to appoint the leader of the legislature party and that is why deliberations are underway.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 14 the hearing on CBI's plea that challenged a Karnataka High Court order granting an interim stay on the probe into a disproportionate assets case against Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar.

The Karnataka High Court had on February 10 stayed the Central Bureau of Investigation's proceedings in a corruption case against Shivakumar. The stay was later further extended on different dates

Security was stepped up in Ramanagara, the home district of Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar, on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in light of his supporters staging protests at multiple places after some media outlets claimed that he lost the race for the Chief Minister's post to Siddaramaiah. An alert has been sounded in Ramanagara where police personnel were deployed at important public places and the district Congress office to prevent any untoward incident, official sources said.