JOIN US'Have not yet decided on contesting from Chamarajpet'
Karnataka Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said Wednesday he was undecided on contesting the next election from Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, confirming publicly that the incumbent legislator BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan had offered to vacate the constituency for him.
“I’m the MLA from Badami and there’s still two years to go for the next election,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. “I haven’t said anywhere that I’ll contest from Chamarajpet. But Zameer has been asking me to contest from here. I haven’t decided,” he said.
Siddaramaiah had said that the 2018 Assembly election would be his last. He contested from Chamundeshwari and Badami. He lost Chamundeshwari by a big margin.
There is pressure on Siddaramaiah from his loyalists within the party to contest the next election. In March this year, he told the Legislative Assembly that he will contest the next election.
It is no secret that Siddaramaiah, 72, is nursing his ambition to become chief minister for a second term.
On Wednesday, Siddaramaiah gave away 20 kg ration and Rs 3,000 to auto drivers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in Chamarajpet. He has frequented Chamarajpet of late for similar welfare initiatives.
Commenting on the rumblings in the BJP, Siddaramaiah said the clamour for Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s removal had increased within the saffron party. “Yediyurappa has failed as CM. He’s the worst CM that Karnataka has ever seen. Not only is he weak, he’s also corrupt,” he charged. “But anyone who comes in his place will also be weak.”
The Congress leader also hit out at the BJP over Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy’s alleged link to the bed-blocking scam. “I had said earlier that Satish Reddy’s aides were involved. Now, Reddy’s assistant Babu has been arrested,” he said.
Congress deletes pro-DKS tweet
The Karnataka Congress' official Twitter handle deleted a tweet supporting its president DK Shivakumar's candidature as the chief minister. "If DK Shivakumar would have been CM today, things would have been under control in Karnataka," the Congress had tweeted.
Choosing between Shivakumar and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah for the CM's post, should the party come to power, is a contentious issue within the Congress as both leaders are seen to have a game of one-upmanship. The tweet was deleted as the party believes in "collective leadership," a source said.