Bengaluru, June 13 -- With the Karnataka Legislative Council elections scheduled for June 18 and a major cabinet expansion expected soon after, Congress legislators aspiring for ministerial berths have stepped up their lobbying efforts.

Many leaders have now turned their attention to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking his support ahead of the crucial exercise that could determine the composition of chief minister DK Shivakumar's expanded cabinet.

Congress MLAs seek Kharge's audience

Kharge, who was in Bengaluru on Friday, June 12, to collect his certificate following his election to the Rajya Sabha, became the focal point of intense political activity. A large number of Congress legislators gathered at the Vidhana Soudha and la...