Karnataka

Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters here, General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal along with Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala thanked the people of Karnataka for the "spectacular victory in favour of Congress".

The three demands include that the Rajasthan Public Service Commission should be dissolved and a new organisation should be formed, unemployed should get compensation in lieu of paper leak and there should be a high-level inquiry into the corruption that happened during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.

In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is also the in-charge of Karnataka, targeting the BJP and media said: "A section of our dear friends of the media have fallen victim to the fake news factory of BJP on formation of the next Congress government in Karnataka"

"They (Congress) are yet to finalise their candidate for the post of CM. It's their internal matter and I don't want to comment on the matter. But, it's going to reflect on the Congress party that despite the complete majority they are unable to finalise the CM candidate. This shows the internal situation of the party," Bommai said.

The Congress high command is hopeful of somehow finding a solution during a meeting on Wednesday in New Delhi. Senior leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge will speak to Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, party sources stated.

His meeting with Kharge comes hours after former party chief Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala held a long discussion with the party chief to decide on the new Karnataka chief minister.

Suresh, who arrived in the national capital late in the evening came to Kharge's residence. "I want my brother to be the Chief Minister," he told the media after meeting Kharge, to questions if he wants his brother to hold the top post in the state. After the meeting, Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala while speaking to media.

The Congress high command, which was expecting a smooth sail in deciding the Chief Minister candidate, faced problems as supporters of both Siddaramiah and Shivakumar shouted slogans for their respective leaders in front of the hotel where the party parliamentary committee meet was held on Sunday.

The powerful leader has been a six-term MLA and a former state President of the BJP. In the recent assembly elections, he, however, lost his Hubbali-Central Dharwad Assembly seat by a margin of 34,289 votes to Mahesh Tenginakai of the BJP.

Sources in the AICC told IANS that Siddaramaiah has put forward a suggestion that he was willing to share the Chief Minister position with Shivakumar. However, Siddaramaiah, according to the sources, wants the first term and that he would demit office after the first two years with Shivakumar to follow in the rest of the term.