Congress high command doesn't want Siddaramaiah to fight from Kolar in Karnataka polls. Here's why

Fearing defeat, the Congress top brass has asked former chief minister Siddaramaiah to drop his plan to contest from the Kolar assembly segment in the coming Assembly polls and suggested the ‘safe’ seat Varuna in Mysuru district.

After the Congress Central Election Committee meeting on Friday, Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi held an exclusive meeting with Siddaramaiah wherein he explained to the 75-year leader the party's internal survey report of the Kolar segment and told him to opt for a 'safe' constituency like Varuna.

Rahul had suggested the same earlier in the CEC meeting headed by party president Mallikarjuna Kharge, which Siddaramaiah attended.

According to a Congress internal survey report, if Siddaramaiah contested from Kolar, there is a chance the JD(S) and BJP may have a secret pact to give him a tough fight.

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Since Kolar sitting MLA Srinivas Gowda quit the JD(S) and joined Congress, JD(S) is putting all efforts to defeat Siddaramaiah to take revenge. If the fight became tough and it got undue attention, Siddaramaiah would have to devote more time to Kolar and not get time to campaign for other places, said a senior leader from Congress quoting the survey report.

If he contested from Varuna, his son Yatindra Siddaramaiah, who is also sitting MLA from Congress, could campaign while Siddaramaiah can tour other places, Rahul reportedly suggested.

In 2018, Siddaramaiah fielded his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah from the Varuna constituency and he shifted to Badami. Both won. Siddaramaiah earlier said he would not contest from Badami in the coming polls as it is far away from Bengaluru and has no time to focus on it.

Siddaramaiah, who is a strong contender for the CM post if Congress comes to power, selected Kolar to contest as the segment consists of a sizable number of voters from minorities, backward classes including Kuruba and SC/ST communities. However, sources said that the Congress survey report says that the JD(S) and BJP are trying to woo Vokkaligas and voters from other communities, who are also sizable in number, to defeat the Kuruba leader. Congress said infighting within the Kolar Congress unit may cause problems for Siddaramaiah.

“In the CEC meeting, the discussion did not come up about my candidature or Kolar seat. I will abide by the party high command's decision on where to contest. Since there is a time for assembly polls, the party will take its decision soon,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.