The Karnataka Congress is a “united house” and it will fight the assembly polls next year on its own under a “collective leadership”, party state unit chief DK Shivakumar said on Thursday.
Shivakumar said he was the least bothered about who becomes chief minister and his mandate is to deliver Karnataka to the Congress in the polls for the betterment of the state.
There have been reports recently of differences between Shivakumar and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah who are considered front-runners for the chief minister’s post if the Congress comes to power after assembly elections, due in April-May next year.
Though both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have on record maintained that the CM will be decided by the party’s newly-elected MLAs and the high command after gaining majority in the polls, their loyalists and supporters have been projecting their respective leader, leading to unease in the party.
Shivakumar also exuded confidence that the party will form the next government and bag over 135 seats in the 224-member assembly.
Asked whether he has got any assurance on chief ministership from the party high command in case his party comes to power in Karnataka, he said, “I am the least bothered about who becomes chief minister. I have a mandate that we should deliver Karnataka to the Congress party for the betterment of the state, and give good governance.”
{{/usCountry}}Asked whether he has got any assurance on chief ministership from the party high command in case his party comes to power in Karnataka, he said, “I am the least bothered about who becomes chief minister. I have a mandate that we should deliver Karnataka to the Congress party for the betterment of the state, and give good governance.”
{{/usCountry}}On whether a CM face would help the party’s prospects in the polls, Shivakumar said the Congress will go into the polls with “collective leadership”. “That is the decision of the Congress party, that is the guideline that has been given to me. With love and spirit, I will ensure that we all work together, we will all be united and we will have collective leadership,” he said.
Shivakumar asserted that the Karnataka Congress is not a “divided house” but a “united house”.
On problems likely to crop up during ticket distribution ahead of polls, the Karnataka Congress chief said all leaders will sit together and take a unanimous call on it, adding that winnability would be the criteria. “We will rectify social imbalance by bringing in youth and women,” he said.
Shivakumar’s remarks underlining the unity in the party’s state unit come days after he hugged party heavyweight Siddaramaiah on his 75th birthday in a public show of unity and bonhomie, prompting former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to express happiness.
On how many seats he expects the Congress to get on the polls, Shivakumar said it would be in excess of 135 seats. He also asserted that the Congress will contest alone and form the next government in the state.