Siddaramaiah may join Congress

Former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah, who was suspended from the Janata Dal (S), is all set to join the Congress in the near future.

Siddaramaiah, who was unceremoniously removed from the post of the deputy chief minister in the erstwhile Congress-JD(S) coalition government, left for New Delhi on Monday to meet Congress leaders.

On Tuesday, he reportedly held discussions with Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel and Union minister Oscar Fernandes on the matter.

Former Congress ministers H M Revanna and H Vishwanath have been pushing for Siddaramaiah's entry into the Congress. Siddaramaiah was suspended from the party by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda in June 2005 after the former attended conventions of minorities and backward classes.

Siddaramaiah and seven of his supporters have been seeking a separate identity in the Karnataka assembly.

According to sources, there will be a reorganisation of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee once Siddaramaiah joins the party.

"Siddaramaiah has laid down a condition to join the party.

He wants a significant post and at least 20 of his supporters should be fielded from the Congress during the next Assembly elections," the sources added.

Siddaramaiah, who belongs to the Kuruba community, has a large following in the state.

After his exit from the JD(S), the party fared poorly in many regions of the state in elections to the Panchayat Raj bodies.