New Delhi, May 9
A decision on who will be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka is expected to be taken by Saturday with the Congress today naming three senior party leaders to meet state legislators and gauge responses on who they would want them to lead.

Defence Minister AK Antony, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Madhusudan Mistry, Luizinho Faleiro, who was Karnatataka's screening committee chairman, and Jitender Singh, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, will travel to Bangalore as central observers of the party and will hold a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party tomorrow.

Names of Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the outgoing state assembly Siddharamaiah continued to do the rounds as top contenders for chief minister’s posts. Kharge, party sources said, stood a fair amount of chance considering he represents the Dalits and disadvantaged sections who form close to 38 per cent vote in Karnataka. Also, the state has not had a Dalit CM for many years now.

Siddharamaiah, on the other hand, has declared himself as a “contender” and is hoping to be named as one having led the party to victory in the state.

Importantly, Oscar Fernandes also met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today with TB Jayachandra, a seventh term MLA from Sira, calling on the Congress chief. Jayachandra belongs to the dominant Vokkaliga community in Karnataka which is the second largest after Lingayats. Sections saw Oscar’s visit to Sonia as an indication of the former also throwing his hat in the ring so far as state CM contest is concerned.