Congress observers submit report to Kharge, name of Karnataka CM likely to be announced in next 24 hours

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 15 : The central observers of Congress for Karnataka have submitted their report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge who will consult UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi to arrive at a final decision, party sources said on Monday.

The name of the next Karnataka CM will be announced in the coming 24 hours, they said.

The Congress registered an emphatic victory in the Karnataka polls.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who is a contender for the post, reached Delhi on Monday.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, who is also a contender for the post of Chief Minister, said he has a stomach infection and will not be travelling to Delhi on Monday.

"There are 135 Congress MLAs. I don't have any MLAs. I have left the decision to the party high command," Shivakumar told reporters here in Bengaluru.

Congress had appointed three observers - Sushil Kumar Shinde, Deepak Bawaria and Bhanwar Jitendra Singh - who were tasked to speak with the newly-elected Congress MLAs.

Congress Legislature Party meeting on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution authorising party president Mallikarjun Kharge to decide the name of the next Karnataka Chief Minister.

Congress won 135 seats pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to 66 seats.