Mallikarjun Kharge to be Karnataka CM?

Bengaluru: Even as the faction war in Karnataka Congress rages regarding the demand for a new Chief Minister by some quarters within the party, creation of a couple of additional Deputy Chief Minister posts and change of KPCC President, the Congress High Command in a bid to douse the dissension fire, is said to be mulling on making AICC President Malliakarjun Kharge the next Chief Minister, after gaining consensus over his appointment.

By brining the name of Mallikarjun Kharge to the fore as the next CM, the Congress plans to kill two birds in one stroke — quelling dissidence and factionalism in the State Congress Unit and Kharge would be the first Dalit Chief Minister of the State in case he occupies the CM post.

By appointing Kharge as the next Chief Minister for  the remaining term, the Congress hopes to bring about a truce between the warring factions who are reportedly indulged in shadow boxing — one led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the other by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

If Mallikarjun Kharge is indeed made the Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar is likely to continue as the Deputy Chief Minister and the current Major Industries Minister M.B. Patil, said to be a strong supporter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as another Deputy Chief Minister. The Congress High Command is said to have hinted about this possible change when CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar met the Party top brass in Delhi earlier this week.

Once Siddaramaiah steps down as the CM, he is likely to be made the KPCC President or given a prominent post in the AICC. As soon as the Congress High Command takes a decision on replacing the incumbent CM Siddaramaiah with Mallikarjun Kharge, the veteran Congress leader will have to step down as the AICC President and as well as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are keen to see Kharge, who is considered as a die-hard loyalist of Gandhi family, as the Chief Minister of Karnataka and thus become the first Dalit CM of the State.