Stalemate between the Congress top brass and Karnataka unit chief DK Shivakumar continues over the Chief Minister post as latter has reportedly turned down several offers made to him by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

Quoting sources, an NDTV report said that Kharge and Gandhi made two offers to DK Shivakumar in a two-hour meeting at Delhi today but the Karnataka Congress leader turned down both options.

As per the report, the Congress high command offered Shivakumar the chair of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister—which he will not share with anyone, and six ministries of his choosing. He would also continue to head the state unit of the party.

Another offer pitched by the Congress was the idea of power sharing between Siddaramaiah—who the party seems determined to hand a second term as Chief Minister—and Shivakumar.

This would’ve meant that Siddaramaiah would head the government as Chief Minister for the first two years and then Shivakumar would ascend to the top post for the next three years.

However, the option was reportedly turned down by both leaders as both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah want a shot at the Chief Minister’s chair first.

According to reports, Shivakumar has been adamant on becoming the next chief minister of Karnataka citing his work in rebuilding the party in the state over the last four years after the debacle of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government’s collapse which happened when a good portion of the party’s MLAs walked out.

Shivakumar is also a big name among the politically Vokkaligas while Siddaramaiah is backed by the AHINDA—a traditional Congress vote bank that consists of minorities, Other Backward Classes, and Dalits.

Earlier, another media report, quoting sources, had claimed that Siddaramaiah will be next chief minister of the state and state party chief DK Shivakumar will be his deputy.

According to an India Today report, after days of deliberating, the Congress high command has finally made up their mind and green-lighted Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka with DK Shivakumar likely to be given the deputy CM responsibilities.

The report, quoting Congress sources, said that Siddaramaiah will likely be sworn-in on Thursday afternoon and will take the oath alone.

A Congress legislator party meeting will also be called tomorrow at Kanteerava Stadium around 3.30 pm, the report said.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were the main contenders for the state’s top post after the grand old party registered a thumping victory in last week’s Assembly elections by winning 135 out of the 224 seats.

Shivakumar, who along with Siddaramaiah, was the backbone of the Congress campaign that ousted the BJP from power in the recently held elections, is likely to be offered coveted portfolios along with the Deputy CM chair, the report said.

Karnataka Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah will be next chief minister of the state and state party chief DK Shivakumar will be his deputy, reports quoting sources have claimed.

According to an India Today report, after days of deliberating, the Congress high command has finally made up their mind and green-lighted Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka with DK Shivakumar likely to be given the deputy CM responsibilities.

The report, quoting Congress sources, said that Siddaramaiah will likely be sworn-in on Thursday afternoon and will take the oath alone.

A Congress legislator party meeting will be called tomorrow at Kanteerava Stadium around 3.30 pm, the report said.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were the main contenders for the state’s top post after the grand old party registered a thumping victory in last week’s Assembly elections by winning 135 out of the 224 seats.

Shivakumar, who along with Siddaramaiah, was the backbone of the Congress campaign that ousted the BJP from power in the recently held elections, is likely to be offered coveted portfolios along with the Deputy CM chair, the report said.

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On Tuesday, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Randeep Surjewala to deliberate upon picking the Chief Ministerial candidate for Karnataka.

Both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah also met the party’s top leadership in New Delhi on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the Congress registered a huge victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls, wresting the power back from arch rivals BJP as it secured a simple majority with 135 seats in 224-seat Assembly.

The ruling BJP won 66 seats while former CM HD Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal (Secular) secured 19 seats.

Siddaramaiah’s veteran guile, leadership skills and mass popularity and DK Shivakumar’s organisation abilities have been credited for the Congress’s remarkable comeback in the Karnataka polls where even the BJP’s trusted method of calling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, failed.

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A heartwarming incident has come to the fore from Karnataka’s Chikmagalur where a woman bus conductor helped a passenger give birth to a baby on a bus. The woman delivered the baby with the help of a conductor after she began experiencing labour pain while travelling in the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

The incident happened at around 1:25 pm on Monday at the Bangalore-Chikmagalur route near Udayapura Agriculture College when the 22-year-old pregnant woman started developing labour pains. The woman conductor identified as S.Vasanthamm asked the driver to stop the bus and asked the passengers to deboard.

Vasanthamm, who had earlier worked in the hospital labour ward, aided the woman to deliver the baby on the bus.

The 52-year-old Vasanthamm told that she quit her job as an assistant in the labour ward in a hospital 20 years ago to join the KSRTC as a conductor, she perhaps never imagined that her previous training would come in handy aboard a bus.

She said the pregnant woman, Fatima, a resident of Assam, was travelling from Bengaluru to Chikkamagaluru with her mother-in-law and, son to join her husband, who works in a coffee estate in Mudigere taluk when she developed labour pain. Other passengers noticed her suffering and informed her.

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Vasanthamma quickly stepped in to assist Fatima deliver the baby on the bus near Udayapura in Hassan. In the meantime, the passengers contacted the ambulance but by the time the ambulance could reach the spot, the baby was born. She delivered a female baby.

The mother was later shifted to the community health centre at Shantigrama by ambulance. Vasanthamma said Fatima is from a poor family so she requested the passengers to offer some help and she was able to collect Rs 1,500 which she gave to her. Later, she accompanied Fatima to the hospital and both the newborn baby and mother are doing fine.

G.Sathyvathi IAS Managing Director, KSRTC appreciated the timely intervention of the woman conductor. The officer said the timely humanitarian service of the woman conductor in responding to the needs of the pregnant woman and saving the lives of the child and mother is highly appreciable.

Vasanthamma also received a call from H.T. Veeresh, Divisional Controller of Chikkamagaluru Depot. The KSRCT will felicitate her in a programme soon.

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