Karnataka CM race: Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar meet former Congress president Rahul Gandhi

Karnataka's two chief ministerial aspirants Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar on Wednesday met Rahul Gandhi here separately amid hectic parleys in the Congress to decide on the candidate for the top post in the southern state.

The meetings came a day after Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held separate meetings with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence and held discussions with him over government formation. Karnataka Pradesh Congress chief D K Shivakumar met Gandhi after Siddaramaiah held a 30-minute meeting with the former party chief.

Central observer for Karnataka CLP meeting, in which the MLAs authorised Kharge to appoint the new CLP leader, also met the Congress president separately at his residence and held further discussions. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are claimants to the top post in Karnataka after the party wrested the state from the BJP.

While the supporters of both leaders are pitching for their respective leaders, Congress is working on a power-sharing formula to accommodate all sections.

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Siddaramaiah is considered the front-runner among the two, while Shivakumar has dug his heels for the top post claiming that the state was won under him as state party chief and that he has worked hard for ensuring this victory.

The Congress has held a series of meetings on who will be the chief minister of the state after the party staged a stunning victory in the assembly elections, winning 135 of out 224 seats.

(With inputs from PTI)