Debate now in Cong over who will pick CM candidate

EVEN as a gag order by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to party leaders, especially ministers, not to air their views in public over the change of guard in the party and the government, a debate has started within Congress as to who will choose the next chief minister, whether it is the party high command or MLAs.

- DEVARAJ B HIREHALLI @Bengaluru

The debate has apparently become relevant as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is completing the two-and-a-half years of his tenure, the half-way mark.

While Siddaramaiah's supporters claimed that the opinion of MLAs is more important, DCM DK Shivakumar's sympathisers asserted that the high command's decision is the final word.