Want to see Cong’s Sidda as CM, says Karnataka BJP mantri

BALLARI: The Karnataka BJP suffered embarrassment on Tuesday when state minister B Sriramulu said he, too, like many others, wants to see Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah become the chief minister again, reports Basavaraj Maralihalli.
“We criticise each other only for political reasons, and there’s nothing personal here (in the slugfest). We are good friends… I’m not afraid of making this statement because I’m not a slave to anyone,” the Karnataka transport minister said.
However, Siddaramaiah said that he doesn’t want to attach any importance to the statement and refused to read it in the context of the approaching assembly elections. Sriramulu said he had facilitated Siddaramaiah’s victory in what he hinted was a friendly fight between the two from Badami in the 2018 assembly polls. “Ask Siddaramaiah with whose help he won the seat. He may not share it in public, but he will reveal it behind closed doors,” he added.
The minister claimed he and Siddaramaiah are on the same page in fighting for the backward community. “I’m not against the Kuruba community or Siddaramaiah. One day Siddaramaiah and I will be on the same stage. I’m sure Siddaramaiah, too, wants to see me become CM one day.”