JD(S) state president A H Vishwanath on Friday took a jibe at Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, saying that only he will be able to reveal why party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge could not become chief minister in the past.

In a response to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s statement that Kharge should have been chief minister long ago, Siddaramaiah had on Thursday tweeted that there were many eligible candidates in the Congress and the JD(S) to become chief minister and that H D Revanna (Kumaraswamy’s brother) was one among them. Siddaramaiah’s statement was seen as an effort to checkmate Kumaraswamy.

“Only Siddaramaiah will be able to reveal why Kharge could not become chief minister. Kharge is a tall leader and it is not proper to compare him with others,” Vishwanath said. After the 2013 Assembly, Siddaramaiah had emerged as the chief ministerial candidate in the Congress legislature party, defeating Kharge.

The JD(S) state president also said Kharge’s contribution to the state, especially north Karnataka, is immense.

Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy had been indulging in shadow boxing ever since the former’s supporters tried to pitch their leader to become chief minister again.