Congress morale up with Siddaramaiah back in action

With Mysore’s influential political leader Siddaramaiah springing back into action after about nine months of hibernation, the Congress party has received a big shot in the arm in Mysore and some other districts of the state, where he has a large following.

While its chief rival the BJP is mustering all strength for a big slice in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, the Congress can take on the challenge with boosted morale, Siddaramaiah back with full vigour.

After falling out from Janata Dal supremo H D Deve Gowda, the former chief minister had joined the Congress party during the 2004 Assembly polls. He and his supporters had all hopes that his seniority and political experience would be recognised and he would be placed in a good position either in the State Legislature or in the party. However, their hopes were dashed for such a long time as to give room for disenchantment.

In the recent by-elections to the eight Assembly seats in the State, the influential backward class leader and some of his close confidents stayed away from campaigning for the Congress party.

There were rumours that he might choose a different political course - float his own party as Ahinda leader, join some other party, which were expecting his moves, and the Congress itself might resort to action against him. His staying away from the poll campaigning proved costly for the Congress. His absence led to a poor performance, which cast a further shadow on its bleak outlook in the background of the growing strength of the BJP, which had by then turned its powerful rival in the State.

The Congress leader had shown his mettle in the May 2008 Assembly elections in Mysore district, where he had cut down JD(S) strength considerably. Siddaramaiah was responsible for reducing its strength to just one from earlier eight seats it had in the previous Assembly. Reversing the position, he had seen to the victory of eight Congress candidates in the 11-Assembly seat district, including himself from the new Varuna constituency. Congress had a lone representative in Tanvir Sait (N R Mohalla) in the Assembly prior to the 2008 polls from Mysore district.

Perhaps the party top bosses realised that Siddaramaiah’s absence would cost again in the Lok Sabha polls. They invited him to Delhi and assuaged his feelings and he was reportedly assured of a better position in the party.

He was also reportedly asked to prove his mettle in the Lok Sabha elections.

An outcome of this is the former deputy CM is back in action vigorously in Mysore and the neighbouring districts of Chamarajanagar and Kodagu. He has toured all the eight Assembly constituencies and visited Kodagu. Now, he is engaged in a busy campaign schedule in Mysore district. Carrying on a strong attack on the BJP, he is leading the Congress campaign along with his supporters and senior leaders of those districts.