As the elections are just a few weeks away, the leaders are busy working out strategies in the constituencies to garner votes. In this process Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who has played a crucial role in uplifting the Congress in the State has been thinking to contest from two constituencies as advised by his close confidants.
“In view of the deal brokered out between JDs and the BJP in Chamundeshwari constituency it is going to be difficult for Siddaramaiah and we have asked him to look for another safe seat in the north Karnataka,” quipped a senior Congress leader.
According to sources in the party Siddaramaiah held discussion recently in Delhi with the party president Rahul Gandhi who has given a go ahead for this and might contest from Badami of Bagalkote district in North Karnataka where large number of voters are Kurubas(shepherd community). Siddaramaiah is a Kuruba and he has made them politically dominant community in the process of polarisation apart from Vokkaligas and lingayats.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah will contest from Badami in Bagalkote district along with Chamundeshwari. The sitting MlA of Badami, BB Chimmanakatti, is not well and the party has told him that Siddaramaiah may pick his seat.
The current MlA of Chamundeshwari, JD(S)’s GT Deve Gowda is working overtime to defeat Siddaramaiah. This constituency Chamundeshwari has 72,000 Vokkaligas and 30,000 lingayat votes. The Backward Classes, Muslims, SC/STs together have over a lakh votes. But Siddaramaiah is confident of getting votes from people of all castes and religions. Veteran Congress leader H Vishwanath another Kuruba leader who has joined the JDs along with another dalit leader V Srinivas Prasad who has joined BJP after rebelling against Siddaramaiah have owed to defeat Siddaramaiah as part of Mysore politics.
The polls have become a serious business to most of the politicians especially for the leaders in the Congress.
The ensuing Assembly polls are much more crucial to Congress leaders as they have to prove a point to keep power in tact to make Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his position sustainable as a leader of the future.
Rahul Gandhi and his vigorous campaign across the state playing all sorts of gimmicks to playing soft Hindutava card, temple, Masjid hopping to address the urban elite by travelling in metro like an aam addmi taking selfies indicate the seriousness of the Karnataka elections for the century old party.