With the Assembly election in Karnataka nearing, Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah, who was elected from Badami Assembly segment in 2018, may test his luck from Hunsur constituency in the upcoming election in 2023.
Siddaramaiah, who contested from two segments in 2018, was defeat in Chamundeshwari by JD(S) candidate G T Devegowda with a margin of 35,000 votes. Now, Siddaramaiah wants to show his strength to the opposition parties, to overcome the embarrassment.
Siddaramaiah is favouring a contest from Hunsur. Thus, he is visiting the segment frequently, participating in public programmes and interacting with party workers. The former CM has visited Hunsur several times in the last three months.
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Besides, the present Congress MLA H P Manjunath has said that he would sacrifice the seat for Siddaramaiah, if he wishes to contest from Hunsur segment.
According to a party leader, also a confidante of Siddaramaiah, it is yet to be cleared from where Siddaramiah would contest. He has several offers, but he has to take a final call, in this regard, the leader said.
Siddaramaiah himself had claimed that the people of Varuna, Chamundeshwari, Hunsur, Hebbal, Chamarajapet, Badami, Kolar are inviting him to contest from their respective constituencies. Siddaamaiah favoured Hunsur, according to sources in the Congress.
Siddaramaiah’s home constituency Varuna is reserved for his son, also sitting MLA Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah. There are speculations that G T Devegowda would be the Congress candidate for Chamundeshwari.
Former chief minister D Devaraj Urs was elected from Hunsur segment. It is an advantage for Siddaramaiah, as he was projected as the best CM, after Urs. Besides, he is being projected as the next CM. Siddaramaiah had followed in the footsteps of Urs, in focusing on backward classes.
According to Congress leaders, the Congress would be strengthened in the neighbouring segments of KR Nagar, now represented by JD(S) MLA Sa Ra Mahesh, Periyapatna represented by K Mahadevu of JD(S), and HD Kote segment represented by Anil Chikkamadhu of the Congress, if Siddaramaiah’s contests from Hunsur.
Siddaramaiah, who entered politics in 1983, has faced 10 elections and has been elected eight times. For the first time, he was elected as an independent from Chamundeshwari segment in 1983. Later, he was elected on Janata Dal ticket in 1985. However, he was defeated in 1989 and 1999. He shifted from Chamundeshwari in 2008 as Varuna segment was created and became chief minister after being electing from Varuna in 2013. However, he tasted defeat in Chamundeshwari in 2018, but was elected from Badami.
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