Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that he would contest from Chamundeswari, his home constituency, in next year’s assembly elections.
Addressing reporters after holding a meeting of divisional-level officers, he, however, said that he may contest from both Varuna and Chamundeswari constituencies. It has not been decided who would contest from Varuna. He may contest from both the constituencies or his son, Yatindra, may contest from one, Mr Siddaramaiah said.
After Mr Siddaramaiah quit JD(S) and joined the Congress, he was elected to the Assembly from Chamundeswari constituency.
He had contested from Chamundeswari in 1983 and won as as a candidate of George Fernandes-led Lok Dal on the symbol of a weighing scale.
Meanwhile at the meeting, he told officials to consider even the loans taken by farmers from lenders while giving ex-gratia if they committed suicide. So far, officials considered only the loans taken from nationalised or cooperative banks for payment of ex-gratia in the event of farmers’ suicide.
One his arrival here, he said the Congress high command could take a decision on the appointment of new KPCC president by the month end.
He was, however, non-committal on reports that senior leader A.H. Vishwanath had decided to quit the party by the month end, only saying, “You must ask him.”
Asked if he would contest the coming assembly poll from Koppal, he said he had only told a reporter from the constituency on a lighter note that he would like to contest from it one day.
When it was pointed out that BJP president Amit Shah and other leaders were getting a survey done in the state prior to the elections, the CM revealed he too was getting a survey done by a private agency on the response of the people to his government and its leaders, including those who had lost previous elections. “ We will also be considering the opinion of party workers,” he added.
On the demand for a CBI inquiry into the death of IAS officer Anurag Tiwari in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Siddaramaiah said that his government had no objection to it.
Dismissing state Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Kumaraswamy’s claim that the Congress government was responsible for the officer’s death, he said,”This is a most irresponsible statement. Being a former Chief Minister he should not be speaking in this manner. If the officer had detected a scam he would have reported it to the minister or secretary concerned. But he did not.”
