Kharge 'out' from Karnataka CM race as MLAs authorise him to pick CM

Bengaluru: Newly elected Congress MLAs in Karnataka on Sunday authorised party president Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the next chief minister, party sources said.

The Congress Legislature Party, which met at a private hotel here Sunday evening, passed a unanimous resolution authorising the party chief to pick its leader.

Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D K Shivakumar are strong claimants and front-runners for the coveted post. Kharge himself was said to be in the race for CM post.

Earlier, the Congress central observers, along with AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal held a meeting with Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar.

Congress president Kharge had deputed former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria as observers for the election of the CLP leader.

Congress scored a thumping win in the May 10 Assembly polls as it secured 135 seats out of 224, while the BJP bagged only 66.