Yediyurappa asks Siddaramaiah to rethink on shifting from Badami seat

BENGALURU: Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah came in for criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on the floor of the Assembly on Wednesday over former’s decision to shift from Badami Assembly seat to Kolar seat in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State.

It may be recalled here that Siddaramaiah contested the 2018 Assembly elections from dual seats-Chamundeshwari in his native district Mysuru and another in Badami seat. He won Badami seat while lost Chamundeshwari seat.

Recently, he announced in Kolar that he has made up his mind to contest the forthcoming election from Kolar Assembly seat considering that Kolar is nearer to Bengaluru than Badami which is about 350-km away from the State capital.

On shift in the seat, Yediyurappa flayed at Siddaramaiah’s decision, saying that “How will voters believe you?” while asking him to contest from Badami which Siddaramaiah currently represents in the Assembly. By shifting to another seat, Yediyurappa told Siddaramaiah that “Voters will not have trust in you?”

To Siddaramaiah, he said, “You have served Badami as an MLA for 5 years” and questioned “What does it mean to shift to another seat?” and added “It seems that you are diffident in facing election from Badami?”

Yediyurappa told Siddaramaiah that there are talks that you have “betrayed” voters of Badami especially when voters of Badami are insisting on your re-election from the seat. He wanted Siddaramaiah to rethink his decision to shift from Badami seat.