High command reluctant to field CM Siddaramaiah from Chamundeshwari
New Delhi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is trying hard to convince Congress leadership to allow him to contest from Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in Mysuru district despite the high command’s reluctance.
Siddaramaiah, who wants to filed his doctor-son Yathindra from Varuna segment in Mysuru district, feels his contesting from the neighbouring Chamundeshwari seat will help in successfully launching the political career of his son.
Siddaramaiah, who was here to attend the screening committee meeting for the past two days, is learnt to have informed the party leadership that his move to contest from Chamundeshwari would be beneficial.
However, the party leaders do not share Siddaramaiah’s views and they fear that the Opposition, mainly the BJP and the JD(S), might enter into a tacit understanding and field a strong candidate in Chamundeshwari constituency with substantial Vokkaliga and Lingayat voters. In such a scenario, the chief minister will be tied down to the constituency and not be able to campaign in other parts of the state, leaders feel.
The party is banking on Siddaramaiah’s popularity and wants him to campaign extensively in the state ahead of the May 12 Assembly elections.
A suggestion has been made to him to contest for Badami seat in Bagalkot district as the constituency has a large number of voters from the Kuruba community, to which Siddaramaiah belongs.
However, the chief minister is learnt to have told the leaders that it would send a wrong message among voters that the ”CM is running away from the home district fearing defeat.” He also made it clear that he was keen on contesting from Chamundeshwari as he wants his son to win in Varuna.
Political greenhorn Yathindra may require full support of his father as the BJP is toying with the idea of fielding party state unit president B S Yeddyurappa’s elder son B S Vijayendra from Varuna.
Siddaramaiah also told leaders about S M Krishna episode during 2004 Assembly elections, when the former chief minister shifted from his traditional Maddur constituency in Mandya district to Chamarajpet in Bengaluru considering it a safe seat and, how he got bad press and the Congress finally lost power.
The party leaders, however, are learnt to have decided to leave the decision on contesting from Chamundeshwari to Siddaramaiah.
