RV Deshpande refutes ideas of him replacing Siddaramaiah as Karnataka CM
Mysuru: RV Deshpande, who is Chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission and a senior Congress leader, brushed aside questions about him replacing Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, clarifying that no such idea was discussed within the Congress or the High Command in New Delhi.
Addressing reporters in the city on Sunday, Deshpande, who had also headed the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said that Siddaramaiah would not only continue as the CM of the state but also remain at the helm for the full term.
The former minister further clarified that no meetings over a possible replacement of Siddaramaiah had been held at the residences of either Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara or Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi. Deshpande said that any meeting that the senior ministers held would have pertained to their respective ministries.
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When asked about his aspirations to become the CM of Karnataka, Deshpande said that he would reply to the question only if such an offer was made to him. Earlier, however, when asked if he hoped he would get a portfolio in the next Cabinet reshuffle, the Congress leader said that he had also held the position of a minister several times and now it would be appropriate for him to become the CM. He added that having ambitions was perfectly acceptable but not being desperate.
Although the issue of a replacement of Siddaramaiah has been raised in the backdrop of the CM facing charges of being allocated a site under the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) illegally, Deshpande supported Siddaramaiah, saying that there was not a single black mark in the CM’s five-decade-long career in politics. He pointed out that MUDA had allocated sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi as compensation for acquiring her land in Mysuru and opined that the allocation by MUDA was not wrong.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
