Congress must first win poll for any neta to seek CM's post: Dr G Parameshwar

Bengaluru: KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar on Saturday stirred up the issue of the next Chief Minister afresh, saying the party would have to secure 113 seats in the 224-member House before any leader could stake claim for the top post.

Dismissing reports of differences about leadership within the party ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, he asserted that Congress legislature party (CLP) would elect the new Chief Minister. “After all there is a convention in Congress that the legislature party elects its leader. Who will contest, who will get elected (as leader), no one knows as of now. Other than this there is no other short cut method for it (election of the new leader),” he said during an interaction with the media on completion of seven years as PCC president.

He, however, declined to comment on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's repeated claims that he would be elected to the top post for another term.

The KPCC chief said all leaders in the state unit were confident of the party retaining power in view of the success of programmes implemented by the state government. Asked about the party's target for next year’s elections, he retorted: “When we say we will form the government on our own, we will obviously have to cross 113 seats mark (out of 224).” Ruling out the possibility of forging a coalition government in 2018, he added the party has conducted surveys to collect data to help in selection of candidates. and decide strategy for the polls.