Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday met with Karnataka party leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar at his residence in the national capital ahead of the departure to Karnataka.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar along with the party’s state in-charge Randeep Surjewala held a breakfast meeting with the party’s general secretary-organisation KC Venugopal.

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Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, “The winning team ! #Karnataka.”
Kharge taking to Twitter said that Congress is committed to ushering progress, welfare and social justice for the people of Karnataka.

“Team Congress is committed to usher progress, welfare and social justice for the people of Karnataka. We will implement the 5 guarantees promised to 6.5 Cr Kannadigas,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s supporters celebrated with sweets and firecrackers outside his residence in Bengaluru as he is set to return as Karnataka chief minister.

The Congress is all set to name Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka, and a formal announcement on the same will be made at a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting this evening here in Bengaluru. According to sources while Siddharamaiah will get the CM position, the Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar will be the Deputy Chief Minister.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to invite opposition leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Karnataka chief minister and deputy chief minister, according to sources.

They said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Rai Bareli MP Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior party leaders will attend the event.
The oath-taking ceremony will be held in Bengaluru on May 20.
According to sources, Congress President Kharge worked till late night Wednesday to break the political deadlock over the next chief minister and arrived at a consensus for government formation.

Central Observers from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) have been asked to reach Bengaluru to conduct the CLP Meeting.

Meanwhile, security was stepped up and banners were also put up outside Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s residence.

Congress bagged 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ousting the ruling BJP, which got 66 seats while the Janata Dal (Secular) secured 19 seats.