Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: As Congress leader DK Shivakumar prepares to take oath as Karnataka chief minister on June 3, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the party is still searching for the right person to replace him as the next Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.Speaking to reporters at Kalaburagi airport, Kharge said the party was carefully weighing its options and looking for a leader who could strengthen the organisation ahead of the next assembly elections.”Naturally, after these people leave, someone else has to come. We are all searching. We have to look at good people and look at the combination and do it from the perspective of building the party ahead,” Kharge said.Explaining the qualities the party is looking for, he said the next state president should be capable of working efficiently while keeping the organisation united.”Since we have only 24 months now, we have to look for a leader who works very fast and who stays collective and takes everyone along. There must also be people who cooperate with them. We are doing it only after considering all of this,” he added.
Cabinet composition yet to be finalised
Kharge also said discussions on the composition of the new Karnataka cabinet are still underway and no final proposal has been received regarding the number of ministers or deputy chief ministers. His remarks came amid speculation over the structure of the new government after Shivakumar was unanimously elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party following the resignation of former chief minister Siddaramaiah.”We have to wait and see, no proposal has come yet. After the proposal comes, how many ministers should be made, how many DCMs should be made, or, if important, chairmen should be made along with this… All these discussions have taken place. That will be known after June 3,” Kharge said.He also indicated that the cabinet expansion could take place in phases.”The proposal hasn’t come yet. In another 15 days or a month, there is an idea to take the remaining ministerial members. But what the Chief Minister thinks is not known yet,” he said.Kharge’s comments came a day after DK Shivakumar formally informed Thaawarchand Gehlot about his unanimous election as CLP leader.The governor accepted Siddaramaiah’s resignation and asked him to continue in office until the new government is sworn in.The swearing-in ceremony of the new Karnataka government is scheduled to be held on June 3 in Bengaluru.(with inputs from ANI)
