Karnataka election 2018: CM Siddaramaiah insists he will contest from Chamundeshwari constituency

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today asserted that he will be contesting from  Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru, amidst reports that it will not be an easy battle for him in the May 12 assembly polls. There were also reports about Siddaramaiah looking for more than one constituency for contesting following demands from Congress workers in northern districts.

“How many times you are asking this question, how many times I should clarify… should I keep responding to statements made by someone. I’m contesting from  Chamundeshwari…what more is required? What clarification is required?” he told reporters in Mysuru.

Siddaramaiah has already declared that he will be contesting from Chamundeshwari, that gave him “political birth”. However, reports suggest that a section of local party leaders have warned Siddaramaiah that the contest would not be easy for him in Chamundeshwari.

Asked whether Chamundeshwari was getting tough for him, as both BJP chief Yeddyurappa and JDS chief Kumaraswamy are making statements about his defeat, Siddaramaih said “I will defeat them…I will defeat Yeddyurappa and also Kumaraswamy. It is not that only they have strength, I too have.”

To a question about chances of both Yeddyurappa and  Kumaraswamy coming together, Siddaramaiah said “they have tried once and they have failed in 2006. They will not be able to defeat me. I have people in my favour,” he said.

Recently, Siddaramaiah had extensively campaigned in Chamundeshwari constituency by visiting several villages.

There are also reports about Siddaramaiah’s one-time party colleagues and now opponents Srinivas Prasad (BJP) and  Vishwanath (JDS) having reached an understanding at local level in Mysuru to defeat the Chief Minister.

JDS has fielded its sitting MLA G T Deve Gowda as the candidate from Chamundeshwari, while BJP is yet to make the  announcement.

Siddaramaiah in 2006 on Congress ticket had won the Chamundeshwari byelection with a wafer thin margin of 257 votes against JD(S) candidate in one of the bitterest poll battles in the state.

The results then were crucial for Siddaramaiah to score political points over his bete noire JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, after being expelled from the party. Siddaramaiah represents Varuna in Mysuru after it became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation.

Making his debut in the Assembly in 1983, Siddaramaiah got elected from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal Party ticket,  from where he has won five times and tasted defeat twice. Speculation is rife that the Chief Minister, who has already indicated that the 2018 assembly polls could “most likely” be his last election, is keen on fielding his son Dr  Yatindra from Varuna.

Reports also suggest that Yeddyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra will be pitted against Yatindra, if BJP leadership agrees.