The former chief minister decided to shift his constituency from Badami in Bagalkote district to Kolar, citing age and distance as factors.
Published Jan 21, 2023 | 5:48 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 21, 2023 | 5:48 PM
Siddaramaiah cited age-related issues and distance as reasons to not contest from Badami during this year's Assembly elections. (Siddaramaiah/Twitter)
Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who has decided to contest the upcoming Assembly election in Karnataka from Kolar constituency, asserted on Saturday, 21 January, that he will surely win even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were to campaign against him.
The former Karnataka chief minister has decided to shift his constituency from Badami in Bagalkote district in North Karnataka to Kolar, citing his age and distance as factors.
“Let (BJP national general secretary) BL Santhosh come, BJP National President JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, or Union Home Minister Amit Shah campaign against me. I will surely win from Kolar,” he told reporters.
Siddaramaiah was reacting to a statement that a negative campaign has begun against him ever since he expressed his desire to contest from Kolar in the Assembly poll, which is just four months away.
There were reports that handbills are being distributed in the district against Siddaramaiah.
The Congress veteran added that the same attempts were made in Badami from where he contested in the 2018 Assembly election and he won, despite the smear campaign by Amit Shah and other senior BJP leaders.
Siddaramaiah had contested the 2018 Assembly election from two Assembly seats — Chamundeshwari and Badami.
While he lost the Chamundeshwari seat with a huge victory margin of over 36,000 votes against JD(S) candidate GT Devegowda, Badami was his face saver, though he won with only a narrow victory margin of about 1,700 votes against BJP’s B Sriramulu.
Siddaramaiah clarified that he was not contesting from Badami because it was too far away and age was a factor keeping him from contest the elections there.
“People of Badami want me there and are ready to even sponsor a helicopter, but due to age-related issues and distance, I have decided to contest the elections from Kolar,” he said.
When asked about the prime minister lauding the Karnataka government, he retorted that Modi was lying.
“Is it not a fact that people made money in the police sub-inspector recruitment scam? Why is the additional director general of police Amrit Paul in jail?” Siddaramaiah asked.
He also alleged that the notorious criminal Santro Ravi was being protected by the government. “Santro Ravi is being protected. He is a notorious criminal, who is charged with rape. He was into the transfer business (of officials) and is facing POCSO cases. Why has he not been taken into police custody?” Siddaramaiah questioned.
The Congress stalwart exuded confidence that his party will come to power with absolute majority by winning 140 to 150 seats in the next Assembly election.
He pinned hopes on the Congress’s promise of 200 free units of electricity to every household and ₹2,000 per month to women who head the family.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
