MYSURU: Stating that the bypoll results will not have any impact on his position, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that Congress will secure victories in both the Davanagere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies in the ensuing bypolls.
Speaking to reporters at Mysuru Airport on Saturday, he said the party is upbeat about its prospects in the bypolls and he will kick off campaigning on Monday. He will travel to Kerala on April 5 to campaign for the Assembly elections on April 9.
“Congress had won the previous by-election, and this is a continuation of that momentum. There is no ambiguity in Davanagere,” he said.
Asked whether the by-election outcome would influence his position as Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah said the elections are unconnected with the post. “If the party high command permits, I will present the budget for the next two years. We will act in accordance with the directions of the high command,” he added.
Detailing his campaign schedule, Siddaramaiah said he would campaign in Bagalkot on March 30 and 31, and again on April 3 and 4, before heading to Kerala on April 5. “On April 6, I will visit either Bagalkot or Davanagere. The Congress will also win the 2028 Assembly elections on the back of welfare programmes we rolled out for the people,” he said.
On the implementation of the bilingual education policy and opposition from private schools, the CM said it has been decided to set SSLC marks at 525 rather than 625 by ensuring that Hindi is not made a compulsory third language. “There can be support or opposition to any government decision. We have no objection to students learning Hindi, but it should not be mandatory for scoring marks. When we were students, Hindi was not compulsory,” he said.
Responding to a query on drug trafficking in Mysuru, he said the government has declared a crackdown on the menace. “Our aim is to make Karnataka drug-free. A drug network has been detected in Mysuru, and strict legal action will be taken against those involved,” he said.