The Congress party which bagged a landslide victory in Karnataka has not picked up the chief ministerial candidate between two of its contenders running for the top post.
The party has two senior candidates – former chief minister Siddaramiah and state unit president DK Shivakumar, who have made no bones about their CM aspirations. The high command is having deliberations over it but has many apprehensions.
Sources said the top leadership, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and observers, has concerns that Shivakumar’s cases related to money laundering, income tax evasion, and disproportionate assets can trouble the “trouble-shooter”.
Read: Karnataka Election 2023: Results dampen BJP’s southern ambitions
The cases against him have not been dropped and the party fears his questioning into them can affect the administration's functioning. At the same time, a large number of Congress workers and newly elected MLAs in the state are against Shivakumar’s elevation.
Cases against Shivakumar
Shivakumar, who is an eight-time MLA came under the scanner of agencies on August 2, 2017, when large teams of the Income Tax Department raided over 64 locations across Delhi and Karnataka linked to the leader, who was a minister in the state government.
Again in September 2018, the Enforcement Directorate initiated a money laundering probe against the 60-year-old leader and his associates, including Sunil Kumar Sharma, who was accused of transporting huge amounts of cash on a regular basis through “hawala” channels.
In 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a disproportionate assets case against Shivakumar and conducted simultaneous raids on 14 premises linked to him and his brother DK Suresh, a Lok Sabha MP from Bangalore Rural.
Shivakumar, who is a close confidante of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, defeated his nearest rival and Janata Dal (Secular) leader B Nagaraju by a margin of 1,22,392 votes.
He assumed the charge of the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on July 2, 2020, and has worked at the grassroots level to strengthen the cadre, which led to the party’s landslide victory. The party now wants to come to an amicable decision regarding the CM post, sources added.
Commenting on the latest developments, All-India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Abhishek Dutt said, “The results have been declared just two days ago. The party has a democratic process of selecting a candidate for the post. All views are being taken into consideration. The party will certainly take time to make its decision that is in favour of the people of Karnataka and the party as well.”
Shivakumar, who expressed his wish of becoming the CM much before the polls were held in the state, has made it clear in his statement that all MLAs are his strength.
Read more: Karnataka Election Results 2023: 6 factors that led to Congress landslide
Siddaramaiah’s chances
Meanwhile, the party is also considering Siddaramaiah’s announcement of retirement from electoral politics. He had said that it was his last election, said sources, adding that the leader doesn’t have cases against him as well.
Both CM aspirants are slated to meet central leadership. Shivakumar is visited the national capital today. Earlier, he had cancelled his trip.
In a statement to the news agency ANI, Shivakumar said he won’t blackmail or backstab the party if he is not made the CM.
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