MYSURU: As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra is keen on contesting from Varuna constituency in the next Assembly elections, Siddaramaiah seems to have shifted his focus to Chamundeshwari constituency.
Siddaramaiah will visit Chamundeshwari constituency, from which he won five times, and launch development works along with District Minister H C Mahadevappa on Monday.
Many had thought that there would be a political vacuum after the untimely death of Rakesh, Siddaramaiah's elder son. But the Chief Minister's younger son Yathindra, a doctor by profession, is now showing interest to test political waters. "If Siddaramaiah's recent appeal to people of Varuna constituency to bless his son Yathindra is any indication, then Yathindra will contest from Varuna," sources said.
Siddaramaiah will inaugurate Cescom office in Kadakola, open renovated temples in D Saluhundi and launch drinking water scheme to villages in Gopalapura and will address a public meeting at Chamundeshwari constituency.
Though the Chamundeshwari constituency is represented by JD(S) MLA G T Deve Gowda, once a blue-eyed boy of Siddaramaiah, the advertisements do not figure the name of the local MLA now. Siddaramaiah had kept a low-profile after the Congress lost miserably in Zilla and Taluk Panchayat polls in Chamundeshwari as the JD(S) won a majority seats despite delimitation and reservation of the constituency in favour of Congress.
Siddaramaiah has made public that he has an emotional attachment with people of Chamundeshwari constituency and wished to contest polls from there in 2018. He thanked people of Chamundeshwari for giving him a political rebirth in 2006 bypolls in which he won by a margin of 257 votes.
He also developed a farmhouse in T Kattur village in Chamundeshwari and has given equal focus on development works in Varuna and Chamundeshwari constituencies. His close aide K Mari Gowda, who was suspended from the party for intimidating DC C Shikha, was given the charge to set a platform for Siddu's re-entry after a gap of 10 years. Sources close to Siddaramaiah said the leader has decided to spend equal time in both Varuna and Chamundeshwari constituencies eyeing to win both in 2018 elections. There are plans to hold janata darshan to win the confidence of people in a constituency dominated by Vokklaigas, dalits, Kurubas and Nayakas.
Siddaramaiah is also introducing Yathindra to a few prominent leaders in Varuna. He has pumped in more than `2,000 crore for development works in the past 3 years that would give an edge to his son. However, Siddaramaiah doesn't want to take any chance by sending his son to Chamundeshwari as he is aware that G T Deve Gowda is a prominent Vokkaliga leader in the region.