A ruling Congress MLA, HA Iqbal Hussain, ignited fresh speculation on Saturday by predicting that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will take over as Chief Minister on January 6. The Ramanagaram MLA, a staunch supporter of Shivakumar, told reporters that the post, currently held by Siddaramaiah, should be vacated for Shivakumar to get a chance to lead the state.
"There is a 99 per cent chance that he becomes chief minister on January 6," Hussain said. When pressed for the significance of the date, he responded, "I don't know. It is just a random number. Everybody is saying so. It can either be January 6 or 9." Hussain has consistently demanded that Shivakumar should be made the chief minister.
Meanwhile, the political debate was further complicated by Union Minister of State for Railways and BJP MP, V Somanna, who publicly expressed his support for Home Minister G Parameshwara for the CM post.
Speaking at a program,e in Tumakuru, Somanna said, "Getting power is luck. I never dreamt that Parameshwara would remain just as the Home minister. It is our wish to see him as CM. Not just me but the people of Tumakuru have this desire to see him as the CM."
When someone from the audience raised the name of DK Shivakumar, a strong contender for the post, Somanna remarked, "Leave it. That's secondary. What Shivakumar wants to become depends on his luck. Conduct is even bigger than luck."
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