Ready to contest against Siddaramaiah: Yeddyurappa

The BJP is playing the cards close to its chest on fielding a candidate from Badami constituency.

Though the Congress announced that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would contest from both Chamundeshwari and Badami, the saffron party has refused to reveal the name of the leader who would take on the chief minister in Badami.

It is being speculated in BJP circles that party president Amit Shah may ask Yeddyurappa to contest from Badami. Names of B Sriramulu and P C Gaddigoudar are also doing the rounds. But the final decision is likely to be taken after Siddaramaiah files his nomination papers from Badami.

State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said in Chikkamagaluru on Sunday that he was ready to contest against Siddaramaiah from Badami if the party asked him to do so. The party has decided to defeat Siddaramaiah in both the places. The BJP’s Badami candidate will be announced soon, he added.

Sources in the BJP said that the party is planning to field either a Lingayat or an ST leader in Badami. These two communities are dominant in the constituency, besides the Kuruba community, to which Siddaramaiah belongs.