Bengaluru, May 7 (Agencies): Amid deepening differences between the coalition partners in the Karnataka government, there seems to be a growing demand for the return of Siddaramaiah as the chief minister of Karnataka.

Adding fuel to the speculations is Karnataka home minister M B Patil, who on Tuesday May 7 said that Siddaramaiah should be the chief minister again, while adding that the present coalition government under H D Kumaraswamy would complete its full term.

"What's wrong in that? Siddaramaiah is our leader in Congress. People want to see him as chief minister again," he said.

"Even we too want to see him as chief minister again. He gave good governance for five years. He should have come back again," Patil told reporters here.

Patil was responding to a query on the growing demand among the Congress MLAs to see Siddaramaiah occupy the top post again. His statement resonates with Chikkaballapura Congress MLA K Sudhakar's remarks that it would be good if Siddaramaiah becomes chief minister again. Water resources minister D K Shivakumar batted for Siddaramaiah at a rally in Hubballi, calling upon the Congress workers to strengthen his hands while also clarifying that the present government would complete its full term.

Patil claimed that Siddaramaiah during his tenure brought many pro-people schemes such as farm loan waiver, irrigation schemes, programmes of 'Bhagya' series such as Anna Bhagya, Krishi Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya etc, and deserves to be the CM again.

"Siddaramaiah had done a lot of good work. He deserves one more term... But we have to accept people's mandate... When we come to power on our own... but presently that question does not arise.. This government has to complete five years," he said.

"Siddaramaiah has got the eligibility (for the second term as chief minister)," Patil added.

After the Congress and JD(S) formed the coalition government following the May 2018 assembly elections, Kumaraswamy took over as the chief minister of the state.

The coalition partners also fought the Lok Sabha elections together though there have been strains between the two ever since.

Many Congress MLAs were not content with the present arrangement and had stated that Siddaramaiah was their leader and they would like to see him as the chief minister again, an issue that has irked JD(S) leadership.