Stirring the pot for those staring at the onerous task of choosing Karnataka's next Chief Minister, state Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Sunday said that he had "sacrificed several times" for the party.
Mr Shivakumar, who is the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, made the remarks after visiting the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur, a religious centre for the Lingayat community that played a key role in the Congress's win.
"Some people say that I have differences with Siddaramaiah, but I want to clarify that there is no difference between us. Many times I have sacrificed for the party and stood with Siddaramaiah ji. I have given cooperation to Siddaramaiah," Mr Shivakumar told reporters.
Mr Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are seen as the two main contenders for the chief minister's post after the Congress party won the state assembly elections on Saturday. The party secured 136 seats out of 224, defeating the incumbent BJP, which won only 66 seats.
The Congress party has called a meeting of its newly elected legislators on Sunday evening at a hotel in Bengaluru, where they are expected to pass a resolution authorizing the party's top leadership to decide on the chief ministerial candidate. Sources said that no final decision will be taken just yet, but the views of all legislators will be sought.
The choice of the Chief Minister is likely to be a delicate balancing act for the Congress party, as it has to consider factors such as caste, region and seniority. Mr Shivakumar belongs to the influential Vokkaliga community, which dominates southern Karnataka, while Mr Siddaramaiah is a Kuruba, a backward caste group that has a sizable presence in central and northern Karnataka.
While Mr Shivakumar, the Congress's chief troubleshooter has not made any bones about rescuing it out of prickly crises, Siddaramaiah, a former Chief Minister, has declared this was his last election. Both leaders also command legions of supporters who have been lobbying for their candidature.
On Saturday, posters were put up outside Mr Shivakumar's residence in Bengaluru wishing him an advance birthday, which falls on May 15, and greeting him as "the new chief minister of Karnataka". On Sunday, posters were also seen outside Siddaramaiah's residence in Bengaluru calling him "the next CM of Karnataka".
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