Vijayapura, May 8 (DHNS): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said all migrants to the Congress will not get the ticket to contest the next Assembly elections.

“Let JD(S) MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan and others join the Congress. The decision on issuing tickets to them will be decided later,” the chief minister said while talking to reporters here.

Siddaramaiah, who was in the town to attend the wedding of legislator Raju Alagur’s daughter, said that the Congress high command would take a final decision on the appointment of KPCC president. To a query, he said that two vacancies in the Cabinet would be filled up soon.

Referring to BJP’s allegation that the government had failed to tackle drought, he said that K S Eshwarappa (leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council) had no knowledge of drought. “The BJP leaders are a disappointed lot after the party’s debacle in the bypolls and are not finding any issue to be discussed in their state executive meeting. Hence, they are crying hoarse over drought,” Siddaramaiah chided.

Meanwhile, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the next Assembly election in the state would be fought under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. Speaking to reporters at Sainik School helipad in Vijayapura, Kharge said that Rahul Gandhi should make up his mind to take on the mantle of All India Congress Committee president and Sonia Gandhi (incumbent) should take a decision in this regard. “Both are assets for the Congress.”

To a question, Kharge said that the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government had failed in tackling the Kashmir conflict as a result of which situation was worsening in the valley. The Centre should hold broad-based consultations with all the stakeholders, including separatists, to find a solution for the vexed problem, he added.

Will contest as Cong candidate: Zameer
Suspended JD(S) MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan on Sunday said he will contest the next Assembly elections as the Congress candidate from Chamarajpet constituency in Bengaluru, which he currently represents, DHNS reports from Bengaluru.

“I met Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice president) recently on joining the Congress. It is confirmed that I will contest as the Congress candidate from Chamarajpet... I waited all these days hoping that H D Deve Gowda (JD-S national president) and H D Kumaraswamy (JD-S state president) will take me back to the party fold,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a job fair.

“Kumaraswamy is daydreaming about becoming the chief minister. But the fact is the JD(S) cannot even find able candidates for 100 Assembly constituencies, let alone him becoming the chief minister. I feel pity for Kumaraswamy’s situation. I wish him all the best,” he stated.