S M Krishna angry, Delhi rushes in
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Bengaluru: Describing himself repeatedly as just a “foot soldier” out to drum up support for the Congress, former external affairs minister S.M. Krishna says “my karma (deed) will end on the evening of May 5”, the day of polling for elections to the Legislative Assembly, leaving the “rest” to other party colleagues in Karnataka.
In a free-wheeling, no-holds-barred interview to Deccan Chronicle here on Wednesday, and despite the loaded ‘karma’ inference, he said he will strive for the party’s victory and will be “immensely happy” if he can swing votes in favour of the Congress, but will certainly not join the race for the Chief Minister’s post.
In fact, he suggested that leaders should work to take the party’s tally past a “gettable” figure of 113 than debate about the Chief Ministerial candidate.
“Let us first get to the bridge, then we can talk about crossing it,” he remarked but was unwilling to commit to the precise prospects of the party, on the grounds that he was not among those who had toured all the constituencies.
Interestingly, Krishna’s comments came on a day when he chose to skip the launch of the manifesto and campaign in Hebbal Assembly constituency, forcing defence minister A.K. Antony and others to rush to his residence to placate him.
Sources close to Krishna said the Congress will find it difficult to regain its hold over the Old Mysore region after Krishna’s camp followers, in particular Mandya district unit president M.S. Atmananda, who command a vote base were denied tickets.
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