Siddaramaiah backs Parameshwara for CM job if party demands change

Amid the ongoing power tussle in the ruling Congress in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have communicated to the top brass his willingness to abide by any decision of the high command to resolve the festering leadership issue.

Sources told DH that Siddaramaiah, who held elaborate meetings with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, followed by his interaction with party general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal on Thursday at Mangaluru, reiterated that he has no desire to cling to power. If the party decides to usher in a new leadership, the Kuruba leader is learnt to have backed the candidature of Home Minister G Parameshwara, a Dalit.

At a meeting on Saturday in Delhi, the top Congress leadership, including former parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, got a detailed briefing on the Karnataka situation, including the feedback from key players.

Even during the luncheon meeting last week with his deputy D K Shivakumar — held at the behest of the high command — Siddaramaiah reportedly told the Vokkaliga leader that he was ready to follow Rahul Gandhi’s instructions of leadership change.

“Even a phone call from Rahul would be enough,” the CM is said to have remarked.

In recent days, Siddaramaiah has held a series of meetings with his close confidants, including Parameshwara, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa and former minister K N Rajanna.

In these meetings, the CM is said to have backed Parameshwara, a dyed-in-the-wool Congressman who was the party’s state president in 2013 when it won the polls and Siddaramaiah became CM for the first time.

In the past too, the CM has indicated that he would prefer to hand over the baton to someone from the Dalit community.

Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has conveyed to Shivakumar that support of other senior
leaders is crucial for him to realise his chief ministerial ambitions.

This message seems to have triggered the meetings by Shivakumar with Siddaramaiah loyalist and Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi twice.

This was followed by a one-on-one meeting with Heavy Industries Minister M B Patil, a senior Lingayat leader.

The Congress leadership is likely to meet again to take the discussions forward on the Karnataka stalemate.