Siddaramaiah to contest from Chamundeshwari seat

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said he would contest in the May 12 assembly election from the Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru.

"I will contest from Chamundeshwari seat on a Congress ticket and win with the blessings of the people as I had in the past," Siddaramaiah told reporters here, accepting the challenge of JD-S state President H.D. Kumaraswamy, who dared him to do so on Wednesday.

Though the 69-year-old veteran leader contested from the same seat seven times since 1983 and won five times, he was re-elected from Varuna in this district in the 2013 assembly poll.

"I have full faith and belief in my voters. They will not listen to him (Kumaraswamy) or will they let me down. If he has guts, let him also contest from here. Will see whom the people will elect," he said.

Kumaraswamy told reporters sarcastically that he would return to Chamundeshwari after the poll results to give his reaction to the "defeat" of Siddaramaiah by the electorate.

The Chief Minister plans to field his eldest son Yatindra from Varuna, which is also his home town, if he contests from Chamundeshwari.

--IANS

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