Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge

KALABURAGI/BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said he would not be impressed if his party offers him the CM’s post or any other position just because he is a Dalit.

Kharge told reporters in Kalaburagi that he would be happy if they consider him for the post because of his seniority. Kharge was responding to chief minister Siddramaiah’s statement that he would have no problem if the party decides to make a Dalit the Karnataka CM.

“If the high command says they will make a Dalit the CM, I will tell them to go ahead. I am not against anybody. But you see, MLAs also have to give their opinion. No one can force... the high command also has to agree to that. Forcefully making someone a CM is difficult. You can’t run a government like that,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru on Sunday. The high command could not force anyone to become CM if he wasn’t popular among the legislators as it would lead to dissidence, he added.

Though Kharge would be the obvious choice of the party high command in the event of it deciding to have a Dalit CM in case of a Congress-JD(S) alliance, KPCC chief G Parameshwara is another potential candidate given the rapport he shares with JD(S) supremo and former PM HD Deve Gowda.

Siddaramaiah, however, dismissed exit poll reports of a hung assembly, saying “it was good entertainment”. The chief minister said he is confident of Congress getting a majority and that he’d continue for the second term.

Asked if he felt threatened by the competition for the CM’s post ahead of poll results, Siddaramaiah said: “In any party, there will be people with ambitions of becoming CM. There is nothing wrong in that. But people should not resort to wicked means to reach that post.” Welcoming the CM’s statement, Parameshwara said he has no role to play in becoming or picking the chief minister because the Congress legislature will finally choose the CM.

Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda took a dig at Siddaramaiah’s Dalit CM remark, saying he has changed his stand fearing defeat. BJP’s B Sreeramulu said Siddaramaiah’s statement suggests he will lose both Badami and Chamundeshwari.

