Varuna gives Siddu grand welcome, wants him back

MYSURU: A festive welcome awaited Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on his home turf Varuna, with women performing arathi, and villagers showering him with petals. People poured out into the streets to give him a grand reception, and they had one request: “Contest from Varuna and become chief minister again!” Siddaramaiah is on a two-day tour of Varuna. Having visited Kolar assembly constituency to feel the pulse of the people, it is said he is likely to return to Varuna, which he had given up for son Yathindra. 

The people of Varuna, who had elected him twice with a huge margin, want the Ahinda leader back as it is considered to be his lucky seat. During a procession in an open jeep with Yathindra, his close associate H C Mahadevappa and others raised slogans, hailing him as the future chief minister. 

Siddaramaiah thanked the people for their love, and said that because they had elected him twice, he had gone on to become chief minister and opposition leader. “I have visited Varuna more than a hundred times, but never got such a warm welcome,” he said.

When villagers in Hadeenarumole urged him to announce his candidature from Varuna, Siddaramaiah said it was not fair to raise the issue in the presence of sitting MLA Yathindra, and that the party high command will decide on his candidature. 

Speaking after inaugurating an Uppara community hall, he said people should not entertain those who are against building a society on equality, referring to the BJP government’s decision to give 10 per cent EWS quota. He lashed out at the BJP government for cutting funds for welfare programmes.