Responding to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who had recently said that senior Congressman M. Mallikarjun Kharge should have been the Chief Minister and the public debate that followed with the response and counter-response by leaders across political parties, Mr. Kharge said that he would neither think too much nor talk anything about it.
In his brief interaction with media representatives outside his residence in Kalaburagi on Friday morning, the Congress veteran said that either his party high command or anybody in the State had ever asked me to occupy the Chief Minister post.
“I don’t think or talk much on the issue. Our high command did not ask me to become Chief Minister. Nor did anybody here [in the State] ask me to [occupy the Chief Minister’s seat]. The question of who should be Chief Minister would not arise as [H.D.] Kumaraswamy is working as Chief Minister of the coalition government. I can’t understand why the question arises time and again and debated in the media over and over again. It is not good to stretch the issue with everybody responding to a statement made by a person in a particular context. The statement made by somebody in some context should be ended there itself. If everybody starts commenting and counter-commenting on it, it would create animosity among leaders and spoil the atmosphere in the party. Will see what decision the high command would take,” he said.
Responding on the issue later in the day while addressing the media, Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader G. Parameshwar said that H.D. Kumaraswamy would continue as the Chief Minister of the coalition government for the remaining four years.
When asked about Congress Legislative Party leader and Chairman of Congress-JD(S) Coordination Committee Siddaramaiah’s tweet on the issue, Mr. Parameshwar said that his party did not get embarrassed with the Tweet.
“Many, including B.S. Yeddyurappa, have expressed their view on the issue before Siddaramaiah tweeted. What Chief Minister said is that Mr. Kharge could not be Chief Minister despite having competence and eligibility. I too endorse it and say the same thing. It is no wrong to say so. One may interpret Siddaramaiah’s as one likes and our party did not get embarrassed by it,” he said.
