North Karnataka may find solace in Siddaramaiah’s candidature
Whether one person should contest from two constituencies is a question that’s more pragmatic than being a simple query. The fact remains that the candidate knows he cannot represent two constituencies simultaneously. And the voters are also aware that he/she will finally resign from one place, in case the person manages to win from both.
In case the candidate is known for his work, the voters vote for him with the hope that he would represent their constituency. But in the instance of a victory in both places, the candidate will have to give up one seat for sure by way of resigning. This action will impose another election on the constituency. In the recent past, PM Narendra Modi had contested from two places. Now Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has also chosen to contest from two constituencies. In fact, he would be contesting from three constituencies! His son Dr Yatheendra is contesting from Varuna constituency. And he will have to seek votes in his father’s name since not too many people are familiar with Yatheendra.
When and if people choose Yatheendra, it would be a mandate favouring his more famous father. The need to contest from two seats is an inevitable challenge that Siddaramaiah has to face now. Both JD(S) and BJP have been planning strategies to create a rift between Siddaramaiah and his party, Congress. If he has to be weakened, Siddaramaiah has to be extricated from the party. This serves another purpose of weakening the Congress too by creating leadership chaos. This desire is not just that of BJP and JD(S), but there are scores of people even within Congress who wish for this. The opposition parties know very well that Siddaramaiah brought a fresh lease of life into Congress with his leadership and tenure of being the CM of the state. There are not too many leaders in Congress who can reach commoners the way Siddaramaiah does. Hence if Siddaramaiah loses the Chamundeshwari seat, the Congress high command will keep him at a distance owing to his failure. This would mark the end of his political career. Vishwanath, Srinivas Prasad and other defectors from Congress have a single point agenda – that is to end Siddaramaiah’s political career. But if you ask them which other leader would they present to the state in case they manage to close Siddaramaiah’s political career, they do not have any answer.
Initially, Siddaramaiah was to contest only from Chamundeshwari. Having said that, Congress retracted its statement within two days of announcing this. Siddaramaiah cleared all the roadblocks to seeking a second seat to ensure victory from his party high command.
As a statesman and politician Siddaramaiah should be actively involved in Karnataka politics for a long time to come. Some people may feel vicarious pleasure by hoping to defeat him. But in today’s situation, we can hardly find a leader of his stature and vision to tackle poverty, to ensure the poor are empowered in the process. His understanding of economics coupled with socialism is a terrific combination.
It is very tough to imagine the House without Siddaramaiah’s presence. He is known for his straight talk which may appear rude to some people. But he was not corrupt and will never be corrupt in the future either. He has retained his individuality beyond the culture of Congress party. Hence, to escape the trap laid by his political opponents and their wish to end his career, the need to contest from two seats is not only inevitable to Siddaramaiah, but it is also the need of the Vidhana Sabha too!
Hence instead of wasting his political career being turning a martyr to the plot hatched by his opponents, it would be strategically intelligent to create Plan B and save his career from ending at once. The ones who accuse Siddaramaiah of having trained his eyes on Badami, state he has done so with the fear of losing in Chamundeshwari. However, if one is to ask them to mention why Siddaramaiah fears a failure in Chamundeshwari, they are unable to articulate and mention even a handful of reasons to support their claims.
It could still be understood if one feels Siddaramaiah may be rejected in Chamundeshwari for not having done enough for the development of the constituency or for having given bad administration. But if the fear of losing Chamundeshwari is due to the nexus reached by JD(S), BJP and some Congress leaders clandestinely, it cannot be called Siddaramaiah’s failure.
In fact, it is commendable that the CM has chosen a prominent city in North Karnataka to his rescue. If he gets elected from here, it could be good for the region too. North Karnataka might as well prosper better than before with him as their MLA.
People in North Karnataka are pretty upset with Bangalore centric focus of development. By selecting Badami as his alternate plan, Siddaramaiah has created a bridge between North and South of Karnataka. As a politician, he may be able to pay heed and understand the challenges of North Karnataka from close quarters. There couldn’t be a better person than Siddaramaiah to solve the problems relating to drought, and farmers from the area. In case he wins from both constituencies, he should retain his Badami seat and continue his work. This is the respect a south Karnataka politician can give to north Karnataka region.
Whether Congress wins this election with majority or loses, Siddaramaiah should not lose this elections. There are many such people like Siddaramaiah in other parties too. All of them should win and enter the house this time. There was a time when a deserving candidate stood for elections, other parties would refuse to get their candidates into the fray. The most deserving candidate would win the election with ease. Every party would cooperate with that intention of bringing the best minds into the House. But today, in a rather ironic manner, the forces that have Dalit movement background seem to have come together against Siddaramaiah. This opportunistic politics ca never deliver good results to the society.
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Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
