AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala on Wednesday said that a decision on the chief minister will be taken by Thursday latest even as Siddaramaiah’s supporters were celebrating outside his residence in Bengaluru and his native village. Soon after, security had to be heightened in Ramanagara, the home district of party’s state chief D K Shivakumar, as a precautionary measure in light of his supporters staging protests at multiple places after some media outlets claimed that he lost the race for the CM’s post.

Earlier in the day, Surjewala said a new cabinet will be in place in the next 48-72 hours, even as the two frontrunners held separate meetings with the Congress central leadership in Delhi, including Rahul Gandhi. Siddaramaiah’s supporters shouted slogans and poured milk on his life size cut out in front of his residence here. Similar scenes were witnessed in his home district of Mysuru, and native village of Siddaramanahundi. His followers and well-wishers set off crackers, danced and distributed sweets.