Drought-hit Badami: Miffed Siddaramaiah missing
The ex-CM has stopped visiting his constituency after Cong’s defeat in LS poll.
Hubballi: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s absence from Badami since the Congress’ defeat in the Bagalkot parliamentary constituency that it is a part of, has set tongues wagging that he is upset with the people of the assembly segment for deserting him and backing the BJP in the Lok Sabha poll.
His absence has been noted by various organisations and farmer leaders , who are wondering why he has not visited his constituency although its people are reeling under a drought. They point out that he has been inaccessible even a week after state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa toured Badami to check for fodder and drinking water scarcity in the area. Local Congress leaders, who have met Mr Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru, claim he is upset with the people of Badami for abandoning the Congress despite his efforts to get development projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore sanctioned for the constituency since being elected from it.
Mr Siddaramaiah had campaigned hard during the recent Lok Sabha poll for Congress candidate, Veena Kashappanavar, who lost to Mr P C Gaddigoudar of the BJP, by a huge margin of 1.70 lakh votes in Bagalkot. Worse, the BJP got a lead of around 10,000 votes in his own Badami constituency.
"The fact that the BJP got a lead in Badami has upset our leader. He has not been able to visit the constituency as he is busy with political developments in Bengaluru," said his loyalist, Devaraj Patil.
Badami social activist, Ishtaling Naregal, has meanwhile appealed to Mr Siddaramaiah in a tweet not to become a "guest MLA" of the constituency and instead hold janata darshans to get first hand information of the fodder and drinking water scarcity in the region.