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With Karnataka Congress chief G Parameshwara’s defeat, Siddaramaiah, currently the leader of Opposition in the assembly, is Congress’s favourite for the top job. Vicky Nanjappa reports
The Congress is all set to form the next government in Karnataka and the race for the post of chief minister has become relatively simpler following the defeat of G Parameshwara, who was one of the strongest contenders for the post.
The Karnataka Congress chief suffered a loss by a huge margin in the Koratagere constituency to Janata Dal-Secular’s P Sudhakara Lal.
Video: Siddaramaiah speaks after Congress win in Karnataka
Parameshwara was a major challenger to Siddaramaiah for the post of the CM. The former could have claimed his stake to chair if he had led the Congress to a victory. But with his humiliating defeat he is no longer in the fray.
The other problem that Parameshwara faces is that the Congress did not put up a good show in the Tumkur belt, from where he hails from and the region that he was in charge of.
At the start of the elections, the state party chief was a favourite for the CM’s post. But not only did he need to win from Koratagere but also had to ensure that the candidates whom he gave tickets to won.
“I am not disappointed and this is a rule of the elections. The people wanted a change, I guess. However, I am happy that the Congress has won,” Parameshwara said after his defeat. He, however, said that he was unhappy about the party’s performance in Tumkur.
Siddaramaiah has more than one reason to smile. He trounced his nearest rival Kapu Siddalinga Swamy of the Karnataka Janatha Paksha by a margin of 20,000 votes from Varuna constituency in Mysore district.
Despite being one of the tallest leaders in the party he is still considered to be a newcomer. He joined the party after quitting the JD-S around seven years back. Many in the Congress feel that the post of the CM should go to an old warhorse of the party, said insiders.
However, it is not easy for the Congress to negate Siddaramaiah, currently the leader of Opposition in the assembly. He has been the party’s star campaigner and if he is denied the post there is a good chance of him walking out with at least 30 members of the assembly.
Parameshwara’s loss has given him every reason to be happy. Moreover, this is his last shot at becoming Karnataka CM, a post that he has been eyeing for over a decade now. He quit the JD-S because party chief H D Deve Gowda’s preferred choice to head the government was his son H D Kumaraswamy, who is a junior to Siddaramaiah.
Siddaramaiah, however, was tightlipped and stated that he was only a contender for the post. “I leave it to the high command. I had expected a big win for both me and the Congress and that has happened,” he said.
Now that Parameshwara is out of the race, Siddaramaiah faces competition from Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge. However, many in the Siddaramaiah camp feel that Kharge does not have the moral right to be CM. He has not been active in the state for the past four years. Moreover, he has not even contested the elections, they feel.
There was a lot of resistance that his son Priyank Kharge was given ticket from the Chittapur constituency. He won the seat by 11,000 votes.
Kharge had agreed with the high command that he would not fight for the CM’s post if his son was given a ticket, said insiders.
Image: Siddaramaiah waves to his supporters