Siddaramaiah | Photo Credit: File Photo
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he is a contender for the Chief Minister’s post, just like KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar is, and the newly-elected MLAs will elect the leader of the Legislature of the party after the election and the high command take the final decision.
“There is nothing wrong in it in a democracy... Anyone may be an aspirant for the highest post, M.B. Patil is the aspirant, D.K. Shivakumar and G. Parameshwara are also aspirants. The newly-elected MLAs have to elect the leader of the Legislature of the party after the election. Ultimately the high command has to take a decision,” Mr. Siddaramaiah told reporters in the national capital.
Both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar are seen as chief ministerial faces in the Congress, with each claiming strong support in different parts of the State.
‘Strong anti-incumbency’
After attending the Congress Central Election Committee meeting for selection of candidates in 100 constituencies in Delhi on Tuesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “’There is a strong anti-incumbency against the corrupt BJP government. They (BJP leaders) have done nothing for farmers, women, labourers. They are looting the State. The fiscal situation is pathetic.”
He also played down talk of infighting in the Congress’ State unit and said that his statements were being “misinterpreted” by a private television channel’s website. In a tweet he asked the channel to take down an article which he claimed had twisted his words.
CM responds
Responding to this, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Congress would not come to power and both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar were not not in the reckoning. He said, “The Congress party will not come to power and they are fighting for the seats which they cannot win.... The utterances of Mr. Siddaramaiah indicate what’s happening inside the Congress party. Mr. Shivakumar, wherever he goes, seeks blessings to become the CM, and on the other hand, Siddaramaiah has been claiming himself as the CM.” JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also reacted to the development and said, “Both Congress and BJP will not cross 70 seats.”
