Kumaraswamy will be CM, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: H D Kumaraswamy would be the chief minister of the JDS-led government supported by the Congress, outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah said today after a meeting between the two parties over a power deal.

Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy also dismissed reports that a section of MLAs of their parties were unhappy over their joining hands in government formation.

“We have decided that Kumaraswamy will be the chief minister,” he told reporters after leaders of the two parties met at a hotel here.

Siddaramaiah said the two parties had the numbers.

“We are 117 together,” he added.

Asked about reports of dissension among some Congress MLAs over the two parties coming together, he dismissed it as “a baseless rumour.”

Kumaraswamy said there was no revolt by MLAs in his party also.

Defending the Congress and JDS coming together, he said it had been done to “save secular forces” in the country.

On the Congress having described the JDS as the “B team” of the BJP, Kumaraswamy said, “several criticisms will be there during elections.