Karnataka Election Results: Will Siddaramaiah Be Chief Minister After Congress Victory?

The makeshift helipad at a government school ground in Harapanahalli, about three hours from Hubballi, is watered to keep the dust down. But when veteran leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah바카라�s blue chopper rattles down to land, it still kicks up a mini storm. He is here to campaign for Congress candidate, N Kotresh, and address a rally in the town. Siddaramaiah asks us to come to a party worker바카라�s house to meet him after the rally, where he will be going for lunch. 바카라�So far the election is looking good. According to my assessment바카라�I have been campaigning for a long time, for the Janata Dal, the Janata Party and for the Congress바카라�I can tell that people this time are with the Congress. They want change; the BJP will not come back to power. They have not projected anyone to be their next leader or the chief minister,바카라� says Siddaramaiah, who at 75, has announced that this will be his last election.

The Congress hasn바카라�t announced its chief ministerial candidate either. Is there a tussle between him and Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar (DKS)? 바카라�Yes, he is a contender. The practice is that the Congress has never projected a chief minister, particularly in Karnataka. It goes by a very democratic process. The elected MLAs will decide and will give their opinion. Then the 바카라�high command바카라� will take a decision,바카라� he says. Party workers we meet say the fight for the top post between him and DKS will ratchet up if the Congress gets a majority, and whose supporters win more seats. 바카라�Siddaramaiah is a more senior leader and he has the experience of running a government. DKS is the challenger. The final decision will be of the 바카라�high command바카라�, DKS listens to Sonia Gandhi,바카라� says a three-time Congress MLA.

We pass through Varuna, near Mysuru, where Siddaramaiah is contesting. Here, the majority are Lingayats. Some voters say it will not be a cakewalk for him, as his main opponent is BJP바카라�s V. Somanna, who is a Lingayat leader. We meet Siddaramaiah바카라�s son and the present MLA from Varuna, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, a mild-mannered medical doctor, at a wedding hall, where he is addressing Congress party workers. He says he has nurtured the constituency and given it up for his father this time. 바카라�We are in a strong position. But we have to convince the voters to stay with us. Yes, Lingayats are the majority here and our opponent from the BJP is a Lingayat. BJP바카라�s IT cell, which is a factory of lies, is very active. But we have set up a clear narrative,바카라� he says.

The rally at Harapanahalli is well-attended and Siddaramaiah has, so far, lived up to his stature; not making any personal jibes against BJP leaders and talking mostly about the Congress바카라� promises in the manifesto. But as we reach the shrill end of the campaigning in Karnataka, the question remains: can the Congress hold up to the arsenal stored in the opponent바카라�s camp?