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‘Ask Siddaramaiah why poor were deprived’: PM to voters in ex-CM's seat Badami
Siddaramaiah is contesting from Varuna seat this election. He is currently an MLA from Badami, the seat he won in 2018 polls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a swipe at former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah for leaving Badami, the seat which he is currently representing as an MLA.
Addressing a poll rally in Badami, which falls in Bagalkote district of the state, the prime minister said,"Siddaramaiah has left this constituency because he has understood the wave. I want the people of Karnataka to ask Siddaramaiah that why the poor people of this area were deprived of all the facilities. Around 3 lakh families of Bagalkote got tap water facility for the first time because of double engine government".
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“Although Siddaramaiah has understood that it is futile for him to try your area, but if you ever come across him then ask him that why were people here deprived of the fundamental facilities before? Why wasn't there any development and transformation in their lives? What BJP has done for the people could not have even imagined by Congress”, Modi added.
In 2018, Siddaramaiah had won Badami after defeating B Sriramulu of the Bharatiya Janata Party by 1,696 votes. However, he had lost from Chamundeshwari, the second seat which he had contested.
In this election, the Congress veteran has been fielded from Varuna, currently represented by his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah. The former chief minister had expressed his desire to contest from Kolar as well.
“I had said, it is left for the high command to decide (the seat he will contest from constituency). High command has asked me to contest from Varuna. I have said that I want to contest from two constituencies, from Kolar and here [Varuna]," Siddaramaiah had said.
Last month, Siddaramaiah had declared the upcoming May 10 will be his last electoral battle and that he will retire from electoral politics.
“I am contesting from Varuna assembly constituency as my native village comes under this constituency. This is going to be my last election. I will retire from electoral politics”, he had said.
