Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday blamed the media for raking up the issue Dalit Chief Minister in Karnataka where assembly poll results will be declared on Tuesday.
His remarks came a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he was willing to sacrifice his post if the party decides to put a Dalit leader in his chair.
"This issue has been created in media to create differences between us. We are clear that high command will decide on it. It's just a matter of 12 hours," Kharge said.
Polling in the southern state was held on Saturday and the results will be declared on Tuesday. A 72.36 % voter turnout was recorded in the high-stakes election.
Voting was held in 222 out of 224 seats in a three-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, the BJP and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S).
Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and over 200 women. There are a total of 5,06,90,538, voters of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters.
Most exit polls for the Karnataka Assembly elections forecast a hung assembly but gave the saffron party an edge with a possibility of the JD(S) emerging as the kingmaker.
Siddaramaiah has exuded confidence that the Congress would retain power with an absolute majority and ruled out any possibility of a tie-up with the JD(S).
Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Chamundeshwari constituency, one of the two seats from where he contested along with Badami in north Karnataka, the Congress leader said, "It is fine if the party decides to have a Dalit chief minister."
His statement was seen as a step to work out a compromise with JD(S) if the exit polls, which have predicted a hung assembly, come true.
If the Congress forms a government in the state and appoints a Dalit Chief Minister, party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge would be one of the top contenders for the post.
