Party hasn't ignored me: Siddaramaiah

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday claimed that the Congress party high command had not ignored him or his supporters.

He was speaking to reporters after offering special puja at Banashankari temple near Badami town.

The former chief minister is on a maiden visit to Badami Assembly constituency after his victory.

"The party high command hasn't ignored me or my supporters. Some of my close aides have been accommodated in the cabinet," he said. "Representation in the cabinet is given based on the party, but not on personal choices," he remarked.

"The remaining six berths would be filled based on principles social justice, caste and region. It is wrong to presume that the Congress party has surrendered to the JD(S). The party joined hands with the JD(S) only to prevent communal forces coming to power," he said.

Siddaramaiah maintained that nobody could destroy the Congress party which had a long and rich heritage.

He chose not to answer whether the KPCC working president S R Patil was upset with him.

He promised of developing the constituency in the five years.

Though it was Siddaramaiah's maiden visit to the constituency, S R Patil did not accompany him. He met family members of Rajappa Jalageri, a farmer who committed suicide at Jammanakatti village in Badami taluk on May 25 and handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh on behalf of the government and Rs 1 lakh on his personal behalf to Rajappa's wife Ambavva. Later, he visited Hanuman temple

Siddaramaiah had contested from Badami and Chamundeshwari in Mysuru. He defeated BJP’s Sriramulu by a margin of 1696 votes in Badami, but lost to Janata Dal (Secular) party’s G T Deve Gowda by a margin of over 36, 042 votes.