CM candidate: Ramalinga Reddy stokes fire, bats for Siddaramaiah

Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy has joined a growing list of Congress leaders expressing support for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to get a second term if the party retains power in the 2018 Assembly polls, an issue that has already created an internal rift in the party.    

"I'm not aspiring for the number one post," Reddy told reporters, when asked if he was a chief ministerial candidate. "Whoever is number one now will continue to be number one when we win the election," he said, referring to Siddaramaiah.

Siddaramaiah himself has asked for a second term and has found support by some leaders. Recently, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president S R Patil urged party workers to ensure "Congress came back to power to form a government led by Siddaramaiah." Even Water Resources Minister M B Patil, who has staked claim to become chief minister one day, said his turn would come after Siddaramaiah finished his second term.

That Siddaramaiah is being projected as the chief minister candidate has not gone down too well with a section of leaders. While the party high command has announced that the 2018 polls will be fought under Siddaramaiah's leadership, he was not announced as the chief ministerial face.

KPCC president G Parameshwara, who was projected as the next chief minister by the party's Yeshwanthpur MLA S T Somashekar, has clarified that the Congress legislature party (CLP) will take the final call.

Ramalinga Reddy said his daughter Sowmya will win if the party decides to give her the ticket. "Likewise, the sons and daughters of other leaders should be given tickets only if they are qualified," Reddy said.