Karnataka polls: Both Siddaramaiah, Sriramulu confident, but who will get Badami?

BADAMI (BAGALKOT): The prelude to an exciting chapter in Karnataka politics was completed after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and B Sriramulu filed their nominations to contest the assembly polls from Badami constituency as Congress and BJP candidates respectively. This put an end to speculations on whether Siddaramaiah will contest from two constituencies and who his eventual opponent will be from the BJP in Badami.

The nominations were filed at the Badami taluk office on Tuesday, following a massive fanfare in Badami town, where supporters of both the parties thronged the venue in their thousands. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was accorded a traditional welcome by people in more than 100 bullock carts as he arrived in Badami.

Siddaramaiah earlier offered prayers at Banashankari temple. He later took part in a roadshow and a public rally on Kalidasa College Grounds.

BJP candidate B Sriramulu was accompanied by Union Minister Prakash Javdekar, BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa, BJP general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao, and Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar.

Both the candidates expressed confidence over their victory in the battle — pitted as the most significant contest in the upcoming assembly election.

Siddaramaiah, addressing a rally after filing his nomination, said while he will win by over 25,000 votes in Chamundeshwari, it was left to the people of Badami to ensure his victory in the constituency.

Hitting out at the BJP, the chief minister said the former did not have the moral authority to question his decision of contesting from two seats as Prime Minister Nadrendra Modi himself had contest from two constituencies in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP candidate B Sriramulu said that he was certain of his victory as Siddaramaiah was contesting from Badami "fearing rejection from the people of Chamundeshwari constituency".

"We are working on a single agenda - to ensure BJP victory and to make B S Yeddyurappa the CM," he said.

However, rumours were rife that Sriramulu might withdraw his nomination as two other BJP leaders — ex-MLA M K Pattanshetty and Mahantesh G Mamadapur — also filed their papers as independents during the day. However, Mamadapur told The New Indian Express that he would withdraw his nomination if Siddaramaiah withdraws his.

Constituency profile

BJP candidates had won from Badami two times consecutively before Congress candidate B B Chimmanakatti won in 2013. The constituency has a large number of Kuruba voters - belonging to CM Siddaramaiah's community - numbering close to 50,000. The constituency has a total of 2.14 lakh voters, of which Veerashaiva and Lingayat communities form about 30% (around 60,000).