Congress leader DK Shivakumar has said he would not back down in a tense rivalry with Siddaramaiah over Karnataka CM’s post, NDTV reported.
According to the report, he has said he would not resort to “backstabbing or blackmail”, regardless of the party's decision.
Siddaramaiah spent much of yesterday in Delhi, where he met with the Congress leadership amid reports that he was closer to the finish line than his younger colleague, the report said.
“Let's wait and see. I don't know,” Siddaramaiah was quoted as having said.
Shivakumar as per the report arrived in Delhi this morning after cancelling his visit last night at the last minute citing a stomach infection.
“The party is my god...We have built this party, I am a part of it and I am not alone in this," Shivakumar was quoted as having said.
"We have built this party (Congress), we have built this house. I am a part of it...A mother will give everything to her child," Shivakumar was quoted as having said.
"If the party wants, they can give me the responsibility... Ours is a united house, our number is 135. I don't want to divide anyone here. Whether they like me or not, I am a responsible man. I will not backstab and I will not blackmail," Shivakumar was quoted as having said.
In polls held last week, the Congress won a clear majority in Karnataka, finishing with 135 seats in the 224-member assembly. Its celebrations were, however, tempered with anxiety over the Siddaramaiah versus Shivakumar contest for the top job, which drags on for the third day without a solution.
Siddaramaiah, 75, is a former Chief Minister and Shivakumar, 61, is the party's Karnataka chief. Both claim to have a majority of MLAs backing their claim to the chief minister's post.
The Congress has a tough decision to make, with an eye on the long-term impact, especially on next year's national elections.
The party's leadership, which includes Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Rahul Gandhi, was yesterday briefed by a team of observers on the views of the newly elected Karnataka MLAs. The Congress held a secret vote on Sunday, the results of which have reportedly been presented to the party president, who will take the final decision.
The party could announce the name of the next Karnataka Chief Minister in the coming 24 hours, the report sources said.
