‘Not worried about BJP’s no-confidence motion’

Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Friday said that he would not contest the Lok Sabha elections.

“It is crystal clear. I will not contest the Lok Sabha elections,” he said while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru.

A section of Congress leaders has been mounting pressure on Siddaramaiah to contest the upcoming elections, preferably from Koppal, as they think he is a “Lok Sabha material”.

The Kuruba leader, however, has been brushing aside such suggestions as mere rumours.

Siddaramaiah, who is, in fact, eyeing another term as the chief minister, also claimed that all was well within his party. When asked about the BJP’s plans to move the no-confidence motion during the upcoming budget session, Siddaramaiah said that the coalition partners were “not worried”.

“We have no confusion. However, Yeddyurappa may be confused. Our numbers have neither gone up or down. The BJP’s plans to move a no-confidence motion is mere speculation. Our MLAs have not gone anywhere. They have not said that they will quit the party,” he added.

Siddaramaiah also chose to downplay the angst expressed against him by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda recently. “Let it be, I will speak to him. He has not taken my name (during the speech). I am not under any pressure. There is nobody as relaxed as me,” he added. Recently, during a JD(S) convention, Gowda had hit out at Siddaramaiah for trying to inject a sense of insecurity in the coalition government.