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Bengaluru, October 13 (IANS) Amid changes in the post of Chief Minister within the Congress government in Karnataka, State Home Minister G. Parameshwara said on Monday that there are many contenders for the post of Chief Minister in the state.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, “Anyone can become the chief minister. Do you know how many contenders there are for the CM post? There are many. Whenever the Congress high command takes a decision in this regard, we will follow it. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and CM Siddaramaiah are the frontrunners (to retain the post), while others, like many of us, are at the second and third positions.” Level, that’s all.”
He said, “I don’t think there is any direct link between the 2.5-year tenure and power-sharing. Once the party comes to power, the Congress legislature party leader or the chief ministerial candidate is chosen after taking the collective opinion of all the party MLAs. The Congress high command sends observers, who collect the opinions and convey them. Whoever has the majority is declared the chief minister of the state.”
Parameshwara said, “Siddaramaiah was elected chief minister for the first and second time through this process. Former chief minister late SM Krishna was also elected in a similar manner. Even now, the opinion of Congress MLAs should be considered. If the party high command decides that it is unnecessary to gather opinion from MLAs and gives its decision, that too will be followed. That is why it is called the Congress high command.”
He also clarified that his previous statement about becoming the Chief Minister of Karnataka was accidental.
Speaking about the dinner meeting hosted by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, Parameshwara said, “The Chief Minister always invites ministers for dinner parties once every three to six months. Dinner parties are also arranged during the Assembly session. Many ministers host dinner meetings at the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha.”
He said, “On similar lines, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a dinner party and according to me it is not a big matter.”
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and BJP MP Jagadish Shettar, speaking in Hubli, asked whether Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar would announce that CM Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term.
He claimed that Siddaramaiah is confident that he will be replaced and said that the change in the post of CM has already started.
“There is a power-sharing agreement between the two (Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar), which is why leadership change is being discussed. Shivakumar always says that the Congress high command will take the final call and decide,” Shettar said.
–IANS
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