Big fight for Siddaramaiah in backup' Badami as BJP fields B Sriramulu

Mumbai: The BJP has decided to field Ballari MP B Sriramulu against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Badami constituency in North Karnataka for the May 12 Assembly elections.

The development came after Siddaramaiah announced that he will be contesting from a second seat in Badami, along with Chamundeshwari, from where has won five times since 1983.

It was reportedly said that Siddaramaiah, who is going to face a tough battle in Chamundeshwari, had asked the Congress for a safe seat as a 'backup'.

But with the BJP fielding Sriramulu from there, the Chief Minister has been forced into another high-stakes battle.

However, Siddaramaiah expressed his faith in the voters and said that he was least bothered as to who will contest against him.

"I am least bothered by who will contest against me there (Badami). Whether it is Sriramulu or Yeddyurappa. I have faith in the voters, they will not leave me," Siddaramaiah said.

Badami is a stronghold of the Chief Minister's Kuruba community. The constituency has 2.5 lakh voters - 55,000 from the Kuruba community and the rest from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and 25,000 are Muslim.

Sriramulu, who is a close associate of the Bellary Reddy brothers, is known to be highly influential with Scheduled Tribe voters. He has already secured a ticket from Molakalmuru, Chitradurga bordering Ballari district, known to have a high ST population.