Siddharamiah touted as Karnataka Cong CM candidate

New Delhi: Congress Legislature Party leader Siddharamiah appears to be the frontrunner for the Chief Ministership, with the party making utmost efforts to reach the magic figure of 113 in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

A central leader, who declined to be identified, said Siddharamiah is ahead in the leadership race, but a decision will be taken by the newly elected party MLAs in consultation with the party high command. Though the Congress has not projected him as the Chief Ministerial candidate, supporters of Siddaramaiah, a friend- turned-foe of JD-S supremo HD Deve Gowda, are aspiring to see him in the post which has so far eluded him. A former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddharamiah has candidly admitted to his aspirations of becoming the Chief Minister even as the party traditionally waits till the last moment to name the leader for the top post. An MLA for five times, he has been representing Varuna Assembly constituency. In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, Congress is upbeat about it prospects of getting the required number in the wake of former BJP strongman B S Yedyurappa parting ways from his parent party and forming Karnataka Janata Party. Central leaders say the Congress has not made much mistakes in the campaign for the southern state so far. Last week, the AICC had been quick to distance itself from senior leader Shakeel Ahmed`s remark that blasts near the BJP office in Bangalore will "certainly help" the saffron party politically in the next month`s Assembly elections. PTI