Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that he's 'ready to sacrifice CM's post for a Dalit', says ANI quoting Tv9 Kannada.

An NDTV report said Siddaramaiah was ready to make way for a Dalit in the state's top post if the party high command so desires.

'The comment is seen as the first sign of the party considering the possibility of a split verdict in the elections and anticipating the demands of Janata Dal-Secular's H D Deve Gowda, who has no fondness for Siddaramaiah,' the report said.

In a recent interview with Rediff.com well-known journalist and Outlook magazine's former editor-in-chief Krishna Prasad has said that id the JD-S decides to go with the Congress, they will not accept Siddaramaiah as the chief minister.

"In such a scenario the JD-S will insist that the chief ministership should either be given to H D Kumaraswamy -- depending on how many seats the JD-S wins -- or to some other face from the Congress, maybe some Dalit leader.

"The JD-S is now known to be extremely Dalit friendly, so it may be that this time they back the candidature of a Parameshwara Rao, or may be even D K Shivakumar," he had said.

Naming a few probables, Prasad said, "...there is a feeling among Dalits that they have not been given their due. For example, Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara Rao; he always wanted to be the deputy chief minister, but he lost the 2013 elections. Or people like Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also a Dalit, would like to be given a chance and they too have their factions."

IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shares a light moment with Karnataka Congress chief G Paramaeshwara during an election campaign in Kolar district. Photograph: Kind courtesy @siddaramaiah/Twitter