E-Paper
Siddaramaiah indicates that 2023 will be his final poll battle
This is not the first time, the veteran leader said it was last electoral battle. Ahead of the 2018 assembly polls, Siddaramaiah had said it would “most likely” be his last election.
Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday indicated next year’s state assembly polls will be his last in electoral battle.
“I will remain in politics, but electoral politics - most likely the next assembly election will be the last that I will be contesting,” Siddaramaiah told reporters at his native village Siddaramanahundi in Mysuru district, about 125 km from Bengaluru, on Friday.
The statements come at a time when the election fever catches up in Karnataka as all three major political parties -- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) -- prepare ground for the polls which have delivered a fractured verdict in 2018.
This is not the first time, the veteran leader said it was last electoral battle. Ahead of the 2018 assembly polls, Siddaramaiah had said it would “most likely” be his last election. During the 2013 assembly polls too, he had said it was his last election. But he went on to become the chief minister after that election.
Siddaramaiah’ statements are also likely to have an impact on the workings within the Congress itself, which is pinning its hopes on Karnataka to spur up a national revival of the Sonia Gandhi-led party.
Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), have locked horns as they try to overshadow each other to be the top contender for the post of chief minister, if the party manages to win the election next year.
Asked whether he will ask for the chief ministerial face of the party to be announced before the 2023 election, as was done in Punjab, Siddaramaiah said, “I will not ask for such things. I will go by the decision of the Congress high command.”
Siddaramaiah became just the third chief minister of Karnataka when he completed a full-five-year term between 2013-18 and wields considerable influence over the party and in several constituencies.
But in the peak of his power, Siddaramaiah lost his home seat of Chamundeshwari in 2018, saved only by his decision to contest in two seats. He managed to win in Badami in Bagalkote against BJP strongman B Sreeramulu and much of this credit goes to Satish Jarkiholi, whose influence in the border district of Belagavi and surrounding regions has been growing.
Siddaramaiah is yet to pick a constituency to represent in 2023.
By his own admission, he is yet to make up his mind about where he will contest from.
“Party workers and well-wishers from Varuna, Hunsur, Chamarajpet, Badami, Kolara, Hebbal, Koppala and Chamundeshwari have asked me to contest from their constituencies but I am yet to decide,” he said on Friday.
People aware of the developments said Siddaramaiah was trying to ensure he wins from any seat he contests, which is also likely to give away if the Congress feels confident of coming to power on its own in the state.
While he represents Badami, there has been a feeling that he should be closer to his home turf, people aware of the developments said.
Siddaramaiah had earlier said he will not contest from Chamundeshwari as he was defeated from this constituency in 2018.
Making his debut in the state assembly in 1983, Siddaramaiah had got elected from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal Party ticket. He has won five times from this constituency and tasted defeat thrice. After neighbouring Varuna became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation, Siddaramaiah represented it till he vacated the seat for his son Dr Yatindra in 2018 and went back to Chamundeshwari constituency.
