'Will contest next election' : Siddaramaiah clarifies in exchange in Karnataka Assembly

In a humorous exchange with Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Siddaramaiah also said that he will contest the elections from Badami constituency.
Siddaramaiah in the Assembly
Siddaramaiah in the Assembly
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In a humorous exchange with Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Siddaramaiah also said that he will contest the elections from Badami  constituency.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cleared the air around his political future by confirming on Monday that he will contest the next Assembly elections in 2023.

In a humorous exchange with Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Siddaramaiah also said that he will contest the elections from Badami, the constituency in Bagalkot district where he is currently the MLA.

"I will contest the next election. I will not run away. Let there be no doubt on this. I hope I have clarified this to the people of this state," Siddaramaiah said during his speech on the Karnataka Budget. Siddaramaiah's speech took a political turn after Speaker Vishweshwar Kageri nudged him to speak his mind.

Siddaramaiah had earlier said that the 2018 Assembly election would be his last.

After hearing Siddaramaiah's statement, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai quipped that the former Chief Minister had conveyed a message to the right people in his party by announcing his intention to contest the next election. When Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar walked into the Assembly minutes later, Bommai said, "See I was right".

KPCC President DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are both contenders for the top post in the next election.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka asked Siddaramaiah which constituency he would contest from. The Congress leader jokingly shot back saying he will contest from Padmanabhanagar, the constituency R Ashoka won from in 2019. He later said, "I am now representing Badami and will continue from there."

Last week, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had said that he will ensure Siddaramaiah remains in the Opposition forever. However, on the same day, Yediyurappa and Siddaramaiah exchanged friendly words while running into each other at a wedding. 

In the 2018 Assembly elections, Siddaramaiah was defeated in the polls in Chamundeshwari constituency by JD(S) leader GT Deve Gowda. He, however, won from the other constituency he contested from in Badami.

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