2023 Assembly poll will be my last: Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah said that 2023 Assembly election would be his last electoral battle. However, he added that he would continue in active politics.

Speaking to media persons on Friday he said that he did not decide from where to contest in the next election though his supporters were inviting him to fight from Chamundeshwari, Hebbal, Chamarajapet and Badami constituencies.

There have been speculation within the party for some time now that the former chief minister, who currently represents Badami, may return to his home turf of the old Mysuru region or somewhere in Bengaluru for the next assembly election. His loyalist and Chamarajpet legislator B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who is among those projecting him as the CM face for the next assembly polls, that caused some differences within the party, has even offered to vacate the constituency for Siddaramaiah.

He said though he was defeated by Chamundeshwari voters, he would never forget their support which helped him win five times from the constituency. He said that the constituency gave him a political rebirth.

Siddaramaiah, the then sitting chief minister, had lost in Chamundeshwari in 2018 to JD(S) G T Deve Gowda by a margin of over 36,042 votes.

He, however, won Badami, the other constituency from where he had contested, defeating BJP's B Sriramulu by a margin of just 1,696 votes.

He made his Assembly debut in 1983 winning Chamundeshwari seat as Lok Dal Party candidate. He has won five times from this constituency He accused the ruling BJP of building vote bank politics by getting Muslims banned from doing business at temples in the State. "It is nothing but hate politics to polarise votes." The Congress veteran leader questioned the ban on Muslim girl students wearing hijab in schools and colleges. "What is wrong in wearing a hijab by Muslim students? Even Hindu swamijis wear head scarf , no one questions it," he pointed out.

Siddaramaiah took part in Sri Siddarameshwara jatra at his native Siddaramanahundi, on Thursday.

The festival of the village deity is held once in every five years, and

Siddaramaiah pays his obeisance at the temple. Siddaramaiah who likes to be with his close pals during his visit was as usual surrounded by friends and acquaintances. Some among them raised slogans hailing Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister. The former CM danced to the beat of native drums, along with ecstatic villagers. By folding his dhoti up to the knee, Siddaramaiah shook his legs, in a restrained manner. Siddaramaiah said "Never have I missed the village fair. Being a native of this village, I share an innate bond with the place. I had participated in the fair even as the chief minister."

Earlier, the fair was held once in two years and later it became a once-in-a-three-year event. Owing to Covid, the fair was not celebrated last year..