Will retain power, Siddaramaiah to remain as CM after polls: K'taka Cong

Bengaluru: Taunted by BJP over Congress not yet naming a chief ministerial candidate, several MLAs of the ruling party in Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday said the party would retain power in the coming polls and incumbent Siddaramaiah would continue in the post.

The issue came up when when Congress' K N Rajanna while attacking BJP on a host of issues, claimed that its state unit chief BS Yeddyurappa would be sidelined after the assembly polls.

"Yeddyurappa is one among the three leaders in the state who has the capacity to shift votes, the other two are Siddaramaiah and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, but he (Yeddyurappa) will be sidelined like LK Advani," Rajanna
said during the motion of thanks to Governor for his address.

Reacting, Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar while pointing out that Yeddyurappa was the BJP's Chief ministerial candidate, questioned Congress about not announcing their candidate.

"It is accepted thing in our party that Yeddyurappa is our leader, we have even announced that he is our Chief Ministerial candidate. Who is your candidate?" he questioned.

He claimed that Congress had not announced its chief ministerial candidate fearing opposition from within, if they announce Siddaramaiah as the candidate the party will disintegrate.

"State Congress President Parameshwara has recently said any one can become the Chief Minister," he added.

In reply, Rajanna said "I'm saying that Siddaramaiah will be the Chief Minister.

Another Congress MLA Narendra Swamy also spoke in support of Rajanna's statement and a few others endorsed it by thumping the desk.

Shettar once again said Congress feared the party would disintegrate if Siddaramaiah's name was announced and asserted that it was BJP which would come to power.

Rajanna said Congress will come to power and Siddaramaiah would be the the chief minister, while questioning BJP about it not announcing CM candidate during Gujarat polls.