After Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, now Parameshwara says he aspires to be Cong CM face in Karnataka polls

Parameshwara’s assertion comes in the backdrop of Congress state chief D K Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah voicing their ambitions to become the next chief minister of Karnataka, provided Congress is able to make the cut in the election.

Parameshwara, a prominent Dalit face of Congress, maintained a low profile for quite some time, especially after Shivakumar became the state president of Congress.

In 2013, when there was a demand for a Dalit chief minister in Karnataka, Parameshwara (the then Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president), who represents the Koratagere seat in Tumakuru district, was a popular face from the community. But he was defeated in the Assembly election which paved the way for Siddaramaiah to become the chief minister. He was made an MLC and a minister in the Siddaramaiah-headed government. During the coalition government with JD(S), Parameshwara was the deputy chief minister.

On Thursday, while speaking to the media, Parameshwara said, “We (Congress) don’t appoint chief ministers on the basis of one’s caste. Whoever is capable in a given situation, whoever has the capability to fulfill the party’s mission and its principles, will be chosen as the chief minister and not on the basis of whether someone is a Dalit or from some other caste.”

“Our primary goal is to come to power in Karnataka and what happens then will be decided by the high command. We will accept whatever they say and if I am given the opportunity, I am ready to take it up,” he added.