Even poll losers become CMs: KPCC chief Shivakumar

Bengaluru: A day after internal bickering within the state Congress came to the fore with at least half a dozen MLAs projecting Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah as the 'next CM, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said Karnataka has even seen leaders who lost elections becoming chief minister.

Reacting to some legislators running a campaign by pitching Siddaramaiah as next Chief Minister candidate, Shivakumar caustically remarked that anyone can dream of becoming CM, as in the past Karnataka has seen the late Devraj Urs and Ramakrishna Hegde become CMs despite losing or not contesting elections.

To a question about former KPCC president G. Parameshwara's supporters also launching a similar campaign, Shivakumar said all 224 legislators who get elected to Karnataka Assembly have an equal right to dream of becoming CM.

There is nothing wrong with one having such aspirations," he said.

After his camp's legislators pitched him as the next CM, Siddaramaiah sought to play it down by stating that he had never expressed a desire to be the CM face with 22 months still to go for elections in Karnataka. "In our party, our high command decides on such important issues. Let us face elections first," he said to a question.

Despite his subtle warnings to pro-Siddaramaiah camp, on Wednesday Shivakumar had stated that the party high command has said what it has to. "I have seen statements by a section of MLAs in the media. Legislature Party leader (Siddaramaiah) will look into it as he is our CLP leader. If he does not, then the party is there to look into it," Shivakumar had said, adding that he too was not in a hurry to become CM.

However, his younger brother and Bengaluru Lok Sabha MP, D.K. Suresh had slammed Siddaramaiah, sarcastically questioning that "what else can one expect from those people who have crossed over to the Congress for the sake of power alone?"

"True Congressmen fight for people's welfare. Elections are still almost two years away and at this juncture when people are dying due to wrong policy decisions of the ruling party, do we really require this debate now? I can only say that people who have crossed over to Congress for the sake of power can only talk about such things. They are nothing but power mongers," he said, without mentioning Siddaramaiah's name.