Siddaramaiah accepts Kumaraswamy's challenge, decides to contest from Chamundeshwari

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said that he would contest the assembly elections from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru.

"I will contest from Chamundeshwari. I will win with the blessings of people from Chamundeshwari," he told reporters in response to a question in Mysuru.

Siddaramaiah was reacting to JDS state president H D Kumaraswamy expressing scepticism over his contesting from Chamundeshwari constituency.

Hitting out at Kumaraswamy, the Chief Minister said "does Kumaraswamy know how many times I have contested from Chamundeshwari constituency...seven times, I have won five times. Does he know all this?"I have complete faith and belief in my voters...they won't listen to Kumaraswamy or anyone," he said while reminding about the support he got in the toughest by-elections held in 2006.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Kumaraswamy had predicted Siddaramaiah's loss if he contests from Chamundeshwari.

"If he (Siddaramaiah) contests from Chamundeshwari, write it down today itself, when election results are declared on May 15, wherever I'm, I will come down to Mysuru to discuss with you about his defeat," he had said.

Reminding that Siddaramaiah had won with a margin of 257 votes during 2006 by-election, Kumaraswamy had even claimed that the Chief Minister was looking for safe constituencies to contest like Narasimharaja in Mysuru.

Siddaramaiah in 2006 on Congress ticket had won the Chamundeshwari by-election with a wafer thin margin of 257 votes against JD(S) candidate in one of the bitterest poll battles in the state.

The results then were crucial for Siddaramaiah to score political points over his bete noire JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, after being expelled from the party.

Siddaramaiah, who represents Varuna in Mysuru after it became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation, has now expressed his intentions to contest from Chamundeshwari once again.

Making his debut in the Assembly in 1983, Siddaramaiah got elected from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal Party ticket, from where he has won five times and tasted defeat twice.

Speculation is rife that the Chief Minister, who has already indicated that the 2018 assembly polls could "most likely" be his last election, is keen on fielding his son Dr Yatindra from Varuna.