2 more Congress MLAs back Siddaramaiah as CM candidate in next assembly election

Bengaluru: Two more Congress MLAs on Tuesday favoured projecting Siddaramaiah as the party's chief ministerial candidate for the next Assembly election, which is two years away.

Earlier, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan and Raghavendra Hitnal had pitched for the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister.

And now they are joined by Kampli MLA J N Ganesh and Bhima Naik, who represents Hagaribommanahalli Assembly segment.

Ganesh told reporters that "When people are dejected with the BJP government, they are looking up to Siddaramiaah. His work as Chief Minister had helped every section of the society. If a gentle person like him becomes chief minister, it will help the entire state."

He maintained that he will go by the decision of the high command, but said "the party leaders know under whose leadership the election should be fought in the state as people want Siddaramaiah to be the chief minister again."

Naik echoed Ganesh's sentiments.

"In the five years of Siddaramaiah's term, we spent huge money on irrigation projects and various social welfare schemes. People know the contribution of Siddaramaiah," Naik told reporters reacting to calls in some quarters favouring projecting Siddaramaiah as the CM face.

According to him, "Karnataka youth feel that they committed a mistake by voting for BJP and everyone's wish to see Siddaramaiah as the chief minister again after winning the 2023 assembly elections".

Reacting to the statements by a few MLAs, Siddaramaiah said they were personal views of the individuals and not the opinion of the party.

When asked about Raghavendra Hitnal backing him, Siddaramaiah said he is not bothered about what he says.

He said he had never asked Hitnal to bat for him.

"Did I ever say that I will be the chief minister or has the party decided it? No. Such discussions have not taken place in the party. So, there is no need to give credence to such issues and it is not a matter of discussion," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Ballari.

The statement of the Congress MLAs came on a day when the party's state President D K Shivakumar called on party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

According to the sources close to him, Shivakumar told Rahul Gandhi about "the mischief of projecting Siddaramaiah as chief minister when there was no such need for it because the elections are still two years away".

Earlier, Shivakumar had said that the party will go to polls under a collective leadership and everyone has been asked to "stay within limits".