BENGALURU: Two days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed he would continue as Chief Minister, post 2018 Assembly polls, water resources minister M.B. Patil endorsed the leader’s stand on Friday, saying it was not wrong on the part of the Kuruba strongman to air such claims. He told the media here: “It is quite natural that whoever leads the party to victory will become the Chief Minister. What is new in this?"
According to him, there was neither confusion nor ambiguity about who will lead the party in 2018. “Battles are won under the leadership of a general. And victory or loss, it is the general who will take the credit or be blamed. So why should there be any heartburn among any of us,” he asked. Categorically denying any groupism on the lines of original Congressmen versus new comers, Mr Patil emphasised said “In 2006, Mr Siddaramaiah came to our party and our central leaders felt he was the man to lead us in Legislative Assembly as Opposition leader since 2009 onwards and then he was elevated as Chief Minister in 2013 too and until now he is the Chief Minister.
“Such being the case, how can anyone keep on saying that he is an outsider? This argument is pointless now as he is on the verge of completing his five-year term and lead the party to power in 2018 too. I do not understand why still anyone has any doubts about his leadership yet. This is unfair criticism which the media often resorts to,” he added. According to him, the Congress followed a set of pattern throughout its history while appointing any leader and seldom it deviates. “The Congress party elects its leader once the party wins or loses. So, 2018 will not be be very different,” the minister added.
