D K Shivakumar elected CLP leader, set to be new Karnataka CM

D K Shivakumar has been elected the new leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP), following a resolution moved by Siddaramaiah, paving way for him to take over as the next chief minister of Karnataka. 

The meeting was overseen by AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.

However, the CLP meeting to elect the new leader took a ten-minute break, and top leaders including Siddaramaiah, Venugopal and Surjewala, huddled in a separate room, according to sources.

AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala arrived in Bengaluru Saturday to attend the CLP meeting.

Announcing Shivakumar's election as CLP leader, Karnataka Congress said in a statement that Siddaramaiah proposed Shivakumar's name for the top position, G Parameshwara seconded the proposal, and the meeting unanimously endorsed it. Party general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal announced Shivakumar's election as the new CLP leader.

Earlier, at the beginning of the meeting, Surjewala, announced that the process of electing the new CLP leader would proceed based on a proposal from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and formally initiated the proceedings, the statement said.

Subsequently, Siddaramaiah moved a one-line resolution and Parameshwara seconded it and all the legislators supported it. Later, Surjewala announced a 10-minute break, and he along with Siddaramaiah and Venugopal, proceeded to the Chief Minister's chamber.

After the three leaders returned to the conference hall, where the legislators had assembled, the process of electing the new leader was declared completed.

(with PTI inputs)