Congress committed to usher progress, implement 5 guarantees in K'taka: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the party is committed to usher in progress for Karnataka and will implement the five guarantees promised to the 6.5 crore people of the state.

Taking to Twitter, Kharge said: "Team Congress is committed to usher progress, welfare and social justice for the people of Karnataka. We will implement the 5 guarantees promised to 6.5 Cr Kannadigas."

He also attached a picture of himself with Karnataka's Chief Ministerial candidate Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate D.K. Shivakumar.

Kharge's remarks came after the party on Thursday morning officially announced Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of the southern state and Karnataka Congress chief Shivakumar as his deputy.

The decision came after three days of back-to-back deliberations among senior party leaders.

Even Shivakumar, who is an MLA from the Kanakpura Assembly seat in the state, said: "Karnataka's secure future and our peoples welfare is our top priority, and we are united in guaranteeing that."

He too attached the picture of Kharge and Siddaramaiah with himself standing together giving a message of unity.

In a tweet in Kannada, Siddaramaiah said: "Our hands will always be united to protect the welfare of Kannadigas. The Congress party will work as a family to deliver a pro-people, transparent, corruption-free governance and fulfill all our guarantees."

The swearing in ceremony is scheduled for Saturday and a CLP leaders meeting will take place on Thursday evening in Bengaluru.

The announcement at the party headquarters in Delhi was made by General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal and General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is also the in-charge of Karnataka, at a press conference.

In the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, Congress won 135 out of 224 seats, while the BJP was reduced to 66 and the JD-S managed to get 19.