"Couldn't Become Chief Minister As Opponents Joined Hands": Siddaramaiah

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has created a flutter with his statement that the opponents came together in the state to form the government and stopped him from becoming the chief minister for the second time. If he were given another chance, he said, he would love to become the chief minister.

The Congress leader expressed his desire at a public meeting in Hassan and said "with the blessings of the people" of the state, he could once again take over as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

"I might have lost the last elections but with your blessings, I will once again become the Chief Minister. Opposition joined hands to stop me from becoming the Chief Minister for the second consecutive term," said Siddaramaiah.

Mr Siddaramaiah who contested from two seats won in Badami, but lost in Chamundeshwari. "I thought people would bless me once again and make me the chief minister. Unfortunately, I lost, but this is not the end. In politics winning and losing are common," he said.

Siddaramaiah's disclosure is being seen as a U-turn from his earlier stand during the assembly polls in May, when he said, "This will be my last election."

While reacting to his predecessor's wish, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said, "Anybody can become a chief minister. It is a democratic system."

The former Chief Minister currently holds the post of Congress legislative party leader and heads the Congress-Janata Dal (United) coalition coordination committee.

After days of political drama and a floor test in the state assembly for the BJP to prove majority, the power to form the state government was vested upon the Congress-JD(S) coalition with HD Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister. But there have been regular reports of alleged friction between the two coalition partners especially after Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said he was "swallowing the pain" of heading a coalition government.