"Congress Will Not Come To Power": Karnataka's Basavaraj Bommai

Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar are "dreaming" about the Chief Minister's post, ahead of the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, but it will not come true, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the Congress leaders' main focus is power and the chief minister's post, and not the welfare of the people of the state.

"The Congress will not come to power, Both of them (Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar) are fighting for a seat (CM seat), which they will not get. Power and Chief Minister post are the main aim of Congress and its leaders in this election and not the welfare of the people of Karnataka," Mr Bommai said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters, he said on one hand Mr Shivakumar is going around seeking blessings to become the chief minister, while on the other Mr Siddaramaiah is claiming that he is the next chief minister. "People who have to decide, don't have both of them in mind." "It is their internal party matter. Both of them are dreaming about the chief minister's seat, but it will not come true," the Chief Minister added.

Basavaraj Bommai was reacting to certain purported statements made by Siddaramaiah, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister, regarding Congress' probable chief ministerial face.

Both Mr Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Shivakumar are nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions in the event of the party coming to power, and were often seen indulging a game of political one-upmanship to assert their position in the run-up to the polls, which according to party sources has led to factionalism within the state Congress.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)