Satish Jarkiholi
Belagavi: Minister for Public Works Satish Jarkiholi took a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, on Sunday, saying that he doesn’t agree if some people think that the Congress came to power in the state by their efforts alone.
Taking sole credit would amount to doing injustice to the party workers and leaders who toiled for the party’s victory in the elections, Jarkiholi said, dismissing claims of ‘sacrifice by some people’. He was speaking to reporters in the city.
“The party didn’t ascend to power due to the work of any one person. We all became ministers and MLAs thanks to the 1.25 crore voters who chose us,” the minister said.
“Dr G Parameshwara has worked as KPCC president for eight years. He is among leaders whose efforts were responsible for the party coming to power and so, I feel he should get an opportunity to be chief minister,” Jarkiholi said.
Parameshwara, a Dalit leader, has expressed his desire to be CM in the past also and there is nothing wrong in it, the minister said.
“Dalits and the minorities are the Congress party’s steadfast voters. So, these communities should get representation,” the veteran leader said.
It is the party high command that decides on who should be CM, adding that he knows nothing about the power-sharing agreement between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
He said he would “definitely” go to Delhi, if he was called for any discussion on the issue of leadership.
Jarkiholi refused to comment on whether he was in the race for the post of chief minister.
Siddu won’t quit even if Cong top brass orders: Shettar
Belgaum MP Jagadish Shettar said on Sunday that Siddaramaiah won’t quit as chief minister even if the Congress high command instructed him to do so so that Shivakumar could take over reports DHNS from Hubballi. “Siddaramaiah will not resign from the post and he will not listen to anyone’s instruction. But Shivakumar will continue to put pressure on the party. As a result of the fight between these two leaders the Congress government will collapse” he told reporters in the party.