Never said will contest from Badami: CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Monday, claimed he had never said he would contest from Badami constituency in Bagalkot district.

The chief minister said his contest from a second seat was only media speculation.

He was speaking to reporters at the Mysore Airport in Mandakalli near here.

“The people of Badami had requested me to contest from the segment. I have faced nearly 12 elections, but I have never contested from two constituencies. I will contest from Chamundeshwari seat only and file the nomination papers on April 20,” he said.

“When Kumaraswamy was chief minister, he campaigned against me in the 2008 by-election, but he failed to defeat me in the constituency,” he said.

The chief minister said in a democratic set-up, it was the people who decide their choice in elections.

“Neither JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy nor me have kept the votes in our pockets,” Siddaramaiah said.

"Kumaraswamy had lost in the previous Lok Sabha election from Chikkaballapur constituency and his wife Anitha was defeated from Channapatna," he said.

When asked about Sunil Bose, son of PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa, Siddaramaiah said Bose wanted to contest from C V Raman Nagar in Bengaluru, but he (the chief minister) suggested him not to contest this time. "Mahadevappa said he will not contest in the election, but he agreed to contest from T Narasipur, following my advice,” he said.

Siddaramaiah said it was true that a few leaders were disappointed as they did not get the ticket.

“I will speak to them and pacify them,” he said.