Karnataka Congress MLAs hold secret ballot to elect CM: Hariprasad

New Delhi: The three observers appointed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are returning to Delhi and party leader BK Hariprasad has said that “secret ballots” were used for voting at the CLP meeting and a decision on the chief will be taken soon. Minister will take office.

Speaking to IANS over phone from Bengaluru, Hariprasad said, “Yes, a secret ballot was used for voting in Karnataka during the Congress Legislature Party meeting. And then Kharge was authorized to decide on the CLP leader.” A one-line resolution was passed while doing so.”

He said that all the observers have gone to Delhi as the process of electing a new chief minister has to be completed. “The report will be submitted to the Congress president and on the basis of which Khargeji will have to appoint the next chief minister of the state,” Hariprasad said.

Kharge had appointed former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Shinde, AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and Deepak Bawariya as observers for Karnataka. According to sources, the three supervisors also met the newly elected MLAs to know their opinion.

The Congress, which won 135 out of 224 seats in Karnataka, now has to take a tough call on the candidature of former chief minister Siddaramaiah and state unit chief DK Shivakumar for the post of chief minister in the state. Both the leaders have shown interest in the top post in Karnataka.

Besides the three observers, Congress in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal are also returning to Delhi to meet the party chief. Even Siddaramaiah, who is the leader of the opposition in the state, is scheduled to reach the national capital on Monday evening.