Congress pulls up leaders for ‘next CM’ remarks

The DK Shivakumar-led Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is learnt to have pulled up legislators B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Sowmya Reddy and former MP Prakash Hukkeri for projecting senior leader Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister.

The matter came up for discussion in the party’s disciplinary committee and the three leaders might be issued notices seeking an explanation, sources said.

Recently, Khan, Reddy and Hukkeri had reportedly said in public that Siddaramaiah would be the next chief minister if the party came to power.

“Leaders should refrain from making statements on this subject. The disciplinary committee is considering issuing notices to them,” a source said.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, both seen as power centres, have kept mum on claims made by some leaders, projecting each of them as the next chief minister.