Karnataka election result: Siddaramaiah, Moily, Kharge frontrunners for CM

Now that the Congress has resoundingly won the Karnataka General Assembly elections, the next big question is who the Chief Minister is going to be. State Congress leaders refused to comment on the issue, saying that the “Party leadership would decide”, while Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that party legislators would make the final decision. Be as it may, these are the top contenders for the top job in Karnataka. The top contender: Siddaramiah The former Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly looks all set to become the chief minister of Karnataka after taking the party to a thumping majority in the polls. The 64-year-old leader has been a part of Karnataka polls for the last 35 years and if chosen could be the first chief minister of the state who is not from the Lingayat or Vokkaliga community. A graduate in science and law, Siddaramiah was assoicated with the Janata Dal before he joined the Janata Dal (secular) faction headed by Deve Gowda. In 2006, he joined the Congress and has since managed to stay on in the state assembly despite some close shaves. [caption id=“attachment_765979” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Siddaramiah is the top contender presently. PTI[/caption] However, Siddaramiah has also come agonizingly close to being Chief Minister on two occations in 1996 and 2004. Siddaramiah may be an athiest, but he will be hoping that there are higher powers ensure that the third time’s the charm. The also in the running Mallikarjuna Kharge The Union Labour Minister may not have been the prime candidate for the Chief Minister’s post when the elections began but now that the results have announced the Congress’ victory, the Dalit leader has said he was willing to take the responsibility if needed. As Firstpost’s TS Sudhir noted in his piece Kharge, who was born in Bidar, represents Gulbarga constituency in the Lok Sabha, both of which are part of the backward Hyderabad-Karnatak region that was accorded special status last year after a Bill was passed in Parliament. However, as he noted, the one factor that could go against Kharge is if the Congress leadership decides that only an MLA should become chief minister. But by that logic Vijay Bahuguna shouldn’t have become the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Veerapppa Moily Another Union Minister who could be in the running for the post owing to his proximity to the party high command. When told by a television anchor of the possibility of him becoming the next chief Minister after yesterday’s victory, Moily was self effacing but did not rule it out either. “My mandate is limited to bring back Congress to power, I have done it. Next question of leadership, central leadership will take it,” Moily said. [caption id=“attachment_765981” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Moily is also seen as one of the contenders for the post. AFP[/caption] Elected as an MP from the Chikkaballapura constituency, Moily is presently the Petroleum and Gas Minister but has wielded considerable influence in Karnataka before going to Delhi.  Since contesting his first state polls in 1972, Moily has served in various posts while in Karnataka like being the Minister for Industry, Finance and Education but never the top job. Will fate and the Congress president smile on him this time? The also ran G Parameshwara The Pradesh Congress chief was in the running for the top job in the run up to the elections, until he suffered a defeat in the polls. A Dalit community leader, Parameshwara was seen as the biggest force contesting against Siddaramiah but losing his seat in Karatagere means the only post he might hold on to for now will be the state Congress chief’s post.