Bengaluru, May 30: Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar was unanimously elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Saturday, clearing the way for him to assume office as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka, according to party sources.

The decision was taken during a CLP meeting held at the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru. Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formally proposed Shivakumar's name for the top post, which received the backing of party legislators.

The meeting was conducted in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, who supervised the proceedings.

Sources said that shortly after the proposal was moved, the CLP meeting was temporarily adjourned. Senior leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Venugopal and Surjewala, held a closed-door discussion in a separate room to deliberate on related matters before the formal announcement process moved forward.

Shivakumar's elevation marks a significant leadership transition in Karnataka and comes after extensive consultations within the Congress leadership.