New Delhi: Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that he accepted the party's decision like a court verdict and that he agreed to become the deputy chief minister in the larger interest of the party. He added that former party chief Rahul Gandhi had called him and asked him to work together.

"Everything is well and will be well and it is going to be well," Shivakumar told the media at Indian Youth Congress headquarters. 

When asked if he is happy with the decision, the Kanakpura MLA said, "We have made one line resolution and submitted it to party leadership. Ultimately Rahul Gandhi called me and said, we all have to work together."

He said, "Mallikarjun Kharge called us and we have accepted whatever formula has been generated."

He was responding to the media after his name was announced as the only deputy CM of Karnataka by party leadership. The Congress announced Siddaramaiah as the new chief minister of the southern state on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on May 20 in Bengaluru.

Shivakumar, who had been camping in the national capital since Tuesday, had met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and several other leaders.

The decision of party was announced after a series of meetings between the senior leaders.

Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had met party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal over breakfast on Thursday. Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala was also present.

All the four leaders then drove in a car together to Kharge's residence after which Venugopal made the announcement at the party headquarters.

Thereafter Shivakumar went to Youth Congress office and met Srinivas BV and congratulated him for his work during the Karnataka assembly elections.

Congress faced an uphill task to decide on the next Karnataka chief minister as both senior leaders Siddaramamaih and Shivakumar were vying for the top post.

The party won 135 out of 224 seats in the May 10 Karnataka assembly election where the ruling BJP was reduced to 66 seats and JD(S) diminished to 19 seats.

(With IANS inputs.)

 

 

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