MYSURU: Keen to wrest both the Mysuru and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituencies, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has chalked out a roadmap for the elections and fixed responsibility for the legislators.
The CM, who arrived in the city along with his cabinet colleagues, held a meeting with legislators and party leaders, brainstorming on poll strategies on Sunday.
“Congress, which swept the Assembly elections, should register an empathic victory in the parliamentary polls,” he said.
Observing that only Narashimaraja and Hundur constituencies had given lead to the Congress in the previous election, Siddaramaiah said Kadagu district with two Congress MLAs should ensure that the party’s Mysuru candidate M Lakshman gets a one lakh vote lead.
“There should be a 2-lakh lead in Chamaraja and Narashimaraja, 50,000 in Chamundeshwari and one lakh in Hunsur and Periyapatna. Though it is difficult to get a lead in KR Nagar constituency, Congress leaders should work to contain the BJP’s influence,” he said, adding that Congressmen should know that they have lost two elections and losing again despite having worked in the Assembly polls would send a wrong message.
“I can’t reach every corner of the constituency. You people should work as my representatives across the constituencies. I want both the seats and leaders should bury their differences and put up a united show in the Chamarajanagar constituency,” he said.
Reiterating that winning the polls is the only criterion, he said the trend is in favour of Congress He advised Congress leaders not to target the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar. “Yaduveer is the BJP candidate and not a maharaja. Avoid making unnecessary statements against Yaduveer as BJP may make it an emotional issue to win over the electorate,” he advised.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah told reporters that there is no division in Congress in finalising party candidates. He said candidates for four constituencies, including Chamarajnagar, will be announced soon.
Denying that the party is promoting family politics, he said Congress has fielded winnable candidates.
Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not fulfilling his promises, he said creating jobs, bringing back black money and others are just a bundle of lies.