Bengaluru: With impressive by-poll results to back his case, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has for the first time since the victory, asserted that come the 2018 elections, it would be he, as CM, who would lead the party, even as he has begun to safeguard his position by mending fences with leaders he had alienated.
It was a direct putdown to KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar, who had recently claimed the party would go to polls under " a collective leadership" which meant he would be a co-partner as KPCC chief.
The CM not only demolished Dr. Parameshwar's hopes that he could stay on as state party chief, he also sent a message to the party high command that they had to project him as CM candidate.
“The question of collective leadership does not arise. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi can’t fetch votes in the assembly elections. Whether one likes it or not, Siddaramaiah is a mass leader and he has proved it. Only if he is projected as CM candidate, will we come back to power," a party MLC and close confidant of chief minister said, even as the CM reached out to film actor and former minister, Ambareesh who had fallen out with Mr Siddaramaiah after he was dropped from the cabinet.
