Won't contest from Chamundeshwari seat in next assembly polls: Siddaramaiah

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah is reluctant to contest the 2023 assembly election in the state from the Chamundeshwari assembly segment in Mysuru district where he had lost in 2018.

As the sitting chief minister back in 2018, he chose to contest from Chamundeshwari and vacated his 'safe seat' of Varuna in Mysuru district to son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah.

While his son emerged victorious, the senior Siddaramaiah lost to JD(S) leader G T Deve Gowda with a margin of about 34,000 votes in Chamundeshwari seat.

People are calling me to contest from four to five places. I have not decided yet, Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

When asked whether he would try his luck from Chamundeshwari seat in 2023, the Congress leader said, I will not contest from there.

Replying to a query on the possibility of elections being held ahead of schedule following the BJP's victory in four out of five assembly polls recently, Siddaramaiah said he did not think it will happen.

He added that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa and other leaders have also ruled it out. Calling such questions speculative, he said there was no reason for holding early elections when the polls are due in April 2023.

However, Siddaramaiah, who is Congress Legislative Party leader said: In case there are early elections, we are ready to face. People are in our favour.

To a query on the rumours that many Congress leaders were ready to switch sides, the CLP leader asked people to wait and watch to see many BJP leaders joining the Congress.

Siddaramaiah also claimed that the Janata Dal (Secular) MLA G T Deve Gowda has spoken to him seeking ticket for himself and his son. I have told him that I have not yet spoken to the party high command, the CLP leader said.

On the possibility of BJP and the JD(S) forming an alliance, the former chief minister said: "We are not bothered if they form an alliance, come to an understanding or even go for match fixing.

Regarding former Union minister C M Ibrahim's allegations, who resigned from Congress and is expected to join the JD(S), Siddaramaiah said there was no need to give value to the allegations made by a person who has quit the party.

"Ibrahim was given ticket to contest the assembly election from Bhadravathi assembly constituency by denying ticket to a sitting MLA Sangamesh in 2013 but he lost. I made him, a defeated candidate, planning board chairman. Further, I made him an MLC. What injustice has happened to him from the Congress?" Siddaramaiah hit back.

These things happen when a man becomes overambitious, he said.

The former chief minister also said there will be no effect on the party after Ibrahim's exit.

Siddaramaiah said Ibrahim wanted to be the leader of the opposition in the (Legislative) Council but the party gave B K Hari Prasad the responsibility.