Kharge rues not becoming chief minister in 1999

Vijayapura: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his disappointment publicly Sunday over not becoming the chief minister of Karnataka in 1999, despite working hard to bring the party to power.Speaking at a function organised here, Kharge said he had served for five years as the leader of the opposition in the assembly and strived to bring the party to power. When the party won the elections, SM Krishna who had become KPCC just four months earlier, was made chief minister. "All my service was washed down the drain. I felt that I had strived tirelessly to bring the party to power. But Krishna, who had come in just four months earlier, got the CM's position," Kharge said.Krishna served as CM from 1999 to 2004 and Kharge served as a minister under him.