Who will be Karnataka's CM? Congress deliberation continues

However, both meetings were inconclusive. Kharge is reported to be trying to strike a balance and a fresh meeting will be held on Wednesday.

Shivakumar, who earlier made it clear that he would not back down from contesting from the post alongside Siddaramaiah, is believed to have told Kharge that he is ready to work as an "ordinary MLA" if he does not get the Chief Minister's post.

Though he presented his case for the top post, he also pointed out that if Kharge himself, despite his stature and position, never became a Chief Minister, then he is ready to serve as an ordinary MLA.

On Monday, Siddaramaiah met with senior Congress leaders amid speculation that he is closer to the finish line than his younger colleague.

"Let's wait and see. I don't know," he told reporters cautiously, asking when there would be an announcement.

The party's leadership has been briefed on the views of the newly elected MLAs by the team of observers sent to the state.

Kharge and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal later held talks on the knotty question of the top post, which could affect the party's prospects in the next year's general election.

If the Congress anoints Siddaramaiah as the chief minister, it will anger the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities as powerful seers of respective mutts have rallied behind Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and appealed to party high command to anoint him as the chief minister.

Vokkaliga seers argue that their community shifted their allegiance from the JDS and voted to the Congress enmasse, and hence Shivakumar should be given the top post.

On the other hand, the Kurbara Sangha also has appealed to the Congress's high command to make Siddaramaiah the chief minister as he belongs to Kuruba (shepherd) community.

If the Congress appoints Shivakumar as the chief minister, it will anger AHINDA communities, which is a larger community than Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. And at this stage, when the Lok Sabha is scheduled for next year, the Congress top brass would not like to disappoint a large number of AHINDA populace and could anoint Siddaramaiah as the chief minister.

Moreover, Sidddaramaiah enjoys the support of a large number of legislators. On the contrary, Shivakumar himself is agreeing that he does not have magical numbers, but he has single-handedly toiled hard to bring the party to power with a thumping majority.

The Karnataka Waqf Board has urged the Congress high command to make one Muslim Deputy Chief Minister and five ministers with portfolios of home, education, and revenue.

In an interaction with the media, Waqf Board Chief Shafi Sadi said the Muslim community was a major factor that helped Congress register its thumping majority in at least 72 constituencies, and it is time for the party to reward them in return.