Mysuru: A day after IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge remarked that his dream was to see his father and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge become chief minister, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah first reacted to the statement by saying, "Anyone can dream of becoming CM."
But in a sign that the Congress' biggest challenge may come not from the BJP as much as from within, the CM didn't stop there. "Can we stop anyone from dreaming, even my son may dream that I should become CM," he said, his mild retort underlying the behind the scenes battle for the top post. Though no formal announcement has been made by the Congress party on who would be the CM if the party wins a majority in the coming Assembly polls, it is widely expected that Mr Siddaramaiah will continue to occupy the post. There was a clamour sometime ago for a Dalit CM with the names of Mr Kharge and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar doing the rounds which soon died out.
Speaking to the media near his residence at Sharadadevinagar in Mysuru on Monday, Mr Siddaramaiah was however trenchant in his rejoinder to the chargesheet released by Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad against his government and said, "Mr Prasad is the law minister, but he doesn't seem to know the law. There is not even an iota of evidence to substantiate the corruption charges. What moral right do they have to speak about corruption when they have those who have gone to jail in the party."
On political parties in Tamil Nadu calling for a bandh on April 5 to press for formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), he said, "The Centre has sought time from the court. So the bandh is a pressure tactic."
