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DK Shivakumar Voices Aspiration To Be Chief Minister As Congress Leads

If the Congress wrests Karnataka, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are the frontrunners to be the next chief minister.

<div class="paragraphs"><p>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah during Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Chamarajanagar district. </p></div>
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah during Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Chamarajanagar district.

Congress leader DK Shivakumar has voiced aspirations to be the chief minister as the party crossed half-way mark after first few hours of counting for the Karnataka assembly elections, according to NDTV.

Apart from Shivakumar, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, the other key aspirant for the post of chief minister is Siddaramaiah, party heavyweight and a former chief minister. His son Yathindra Siddaramiah has already pitched his father to be the chief minister.

According to the NDTV report, Shivakumar said he hopes to be considered for the role given is effort to building the base of the party and resurruct Congress' prospects in the state.

Shivakumar reposed faith in the Congress top leadership of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge and said he will abide by their decision, the report said.

113 seats define the halfway mark in the state and initial counting reveals the INC hovering close to the mark. Final counting results will be out midday and decide if Congress will emerge as the single largest party.

The Congress was comfortably ahead of the half-way mark at 119 at 11:30 a.m. after more than three hours of counting. The BJP was at 72 and the JD(S) at 26.

Karnataka saw a record voter turnout of 73.19% on May 10 this year.