Yathindra Elevated to Cabinet Years After Vacating Varuna Seat for Siddaramaiah
Sources suggest that when Siddaramaiah decided to step down as Chief Minister about a week back, one of the demands was regarding the political career of his son
BENGALURU: In 2023, Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah vacated his Varuna Assembly seat in Mysuru district to make way for his father Siddaramaiah to contest in the elections that year. In return for this sacrifice, Yathindra was rewarded with an MLC post then. Years later, as Siddaramaiah steps down to make way for DK Shivakumar as the Karnataka CM, Yathindra is to be elevated as a cabinet minister.
Sources suggest that when Siddaramaiah decided to step down as Chief Minister about a week back, one of the demands was regarding the political career of his son. Siddaramaiah is said to have put forth a condition before the central leaders to elevate his son as a cabinet minister, which was okayed by them.
In the run-up to the 2023 Assembly election, Siddaramaiah was in search of a safe seat to contest, and he initially considered the Kolar Assembly seat to fight. But he changed his mind at the last minute to return to Varuna from where he had won the 2013 election and became the Chief Minister to complete his full term in office.
To make his son plunge into electoral politics, Siddaramaiah made way for his son, Dr Yathindra, to fight his election from Varuna and moved to Chamundeshwari Assembly seat in Mysuru in 2018. Then, he contested in two seats-Chamundeshwari Assembly seat and Badami Assembly seat in Bagalkot district.
Siddaramaiah lost the Chamundeshwari seat against his opponent G.T. Deve Gowda of Janata Dal Secular (JDS) but won the Badami seat to enter the Assembly by defeating Bharatiya Janata Party nominee B. Sreeramulu. Siddaramaiah’s win over Sreeramulu was by a slender margin.
Before moving down south in 2023, Siddaramaiah stated Badami Assembly seat was far away from Bengaluru city, about 350 kms, and wanted to contest from a seat closer to the State capital. He considered Kolar, which is about 70 km from Bengaluru. Yathindra, eager to contest from the Varuna seat, instead vacated it for his father, considering he had good chances of becoming Chief Minister for the second time. Yathindra decided to vacate the Varuna seat, and Siddaramaiah contested Varuna to win the seat, but also adorned the post of Chief Minister for a second term.
Now in the cabinet headed by D.K. Shivakumar, Yathindra exuded confidence to serve in whatever portfolio he is allocated.
