BENGALURU: CLP leader Siddaramaiah on Monday declared that he would contest the next Assembly polls. The former chief minister had, on multiple occasions, said that the 2018 Assembly election would be his last. “I will contest. I won’t run away. There is no need to have any doubt,” Siddaramaiah said. in response to a jibe at him insisting that nothing is permanent in politics.
In a quick retort, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Siddaramaiah had conveyed to the House as well as his rivals, that he still has electoral politics left in him. As if on cue or by sheer coincidence, KPCC President DK Shivakumar walked into the Assembly, leading to Bommai reiterating his statement. Siddaramaiah’s open statement on contesting elections is set to fuel more factional wars in the State Congress.
His announcement came after a few ministers took jibes at his criticism of the budget and reminded him that he had said he wouldn’t contest any more elections. Former Speaker Ramesh Kumar, vehemently opposing this, insisted that not contesting was not Siddaramaiah’s decision, prompting him to say he would contest. Revenue Minister R Ashoka asked which constituency he would contest from, to which Siddaramaiah quipped, “Padmanabhanagar”-- Ashoka’s seat -- before adding that as an MLA from
Badami, he would contest from Badami again.