Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah backs Vokkaligain in high-stakes Chamundeshwari

MYSURU: After he opted to shift his political base to the newly formed Varuna segment in 2008, Congress leader Siddaramaiah had opted to field political novice M Satyanarayana to retain Chamundeshwari segment he had won in a high stakes battle in December 2006. Having banked on a Vokkaliga, Siddaramaiah was successful in retaining the seat.
In 2023, he has again banked on a Vokkaliga leader - Mavinahalli Siddegowda - to take on JD(S) strongman GT Devegowda.
The Congress has opted to field the leader who had crossed over to the party from JD(S) after he fell out with the party leadership for retaining sitting MLA GT Devegowda in the party. Siddegowda’s grouse was that the JD(S) brass chose to retain Devegowda though he had distanced himself from the party for over three years.
Having worked with Siddaramaiah and Devegowda when they were together in Janata Parivar, Siddegowda, a former chief of Mymul and APMC, knows the segment like the back of his hand, something, a senior Congress leader said, will pose a challenge to the sitting MLA. Siddegowda has deep roots in Jayapura hobli, which will help the party, the leader told TOI.
Since his son, Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank vice- president GT Harish Gowda is contesting from neighbouring Hunsur, Devegowda will be hard-pressed for time and energy to focus on other segments in the district, he said.
However, Devegowda said he is not surprised with Congress’ choice. “This is democracy and anybody can contest the polls. But it indicates the situation of Congress in the segment as they have to bank on a turncoat,” he said, adding it will not impact his winnability.
While Siddaramaiah has his way in Chamundeshwari, he is not able to get his supporters in KR and Chamaraja segments the tickets even in the second list. While leaders close to Siddaramaiah said the party could field a Lingayat at KR, the former CM’s plan to field his supporter Harish Gowda from Chamaraja is met with opposition. AICC top brass Veerappa Moily is keen to field former MLA Vasu.
Congress relinquishes Melukote for Darshan Puttannaiah
As expected, Siddaramaiah has got the party to leave Melukote segment in Mandya to farmers’ leader and Sarvodaya Karnataka Party candidate Darshan Puttannaiah like the last time.
Darshan along with Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha chief Badalagalapura Nagendra had met Siddaramaiah some time back.
Darshan, who had lost the polls by a margin of 22,000 votes to JD(S) strongman CS Puttaraju in the 2018 polls, said anti-incumbency factor against JD(S) in Mandya district will work in his favour. Turncoat BL Devaraja, who had lost to sitting BJP MLA KC Narayanagowda in KR Pet during the 2019 bypolls has got the JD(S) ticket.
While Congress has finalised its candidates for the six constituencies in Mandya, it is still not able to decide a candidate for Maddur. There is fight between former Mandya ZP chief S Gurucharan, the nephew of former CM SM Krishna, and Kadalur Uday, who was inducted into the party recently. The party has kept the option open for BJP rebel MLC Ayanur Manjunath to cross over to Congress and field him from Shivamogga. On Thursday, Manjunath did not rule out the possibility. He said he will not divulge what has transpired between him and senior leaders, even as he set a three-day deadline for the BJP to make its stand clear.
It is believed that Congress is waiting to see if the Gowda family feud over Hassan candidate will precipitate, pushing former ZP vice-president HP Swaroop, who is son of four time JD(S) MLA, to quit the party. Congress leaders had approached Swaroop in the aftermath of JD(S) leader Bhavani Revanna making a pitch for Hassan segment.