Upcoming K'taka assembly polls my last electoral battle, says Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Feb 14: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reiterated that upcoming Assembly elections will be his last electoral battle, but he will remain active in Karnataka politics.
The former Chief Minister last month announced his decision to contest from Kolar this time, subject to approval from the Congress high command.
However, he said he is ready to enter the poll fray from whichever segment the party asks him to, whether it is from Badami or Varuna.
On Tuesday, he addressed a large number of his supporters and party workers who had come from Badami, to urge him to contest from his current constituency once again.
''You have to understand my difficulty too, I'm 76 now, and this will be my last election, I will not be contesting an election again. I will be in politics, but will not contest polls, this is my last election,'' Siddaramaiah said.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said, ''I have thought about contesting the election from a constituency nearer (to Bengaluru). Despite this, I will contest from wherever the high command asks me to.''
''If they ask me to contest from Badami I will contest from Badami, if they say Varuna, I will contest from there and if they say Kolar, I will contest from there. Please don't mistake me, in case I don't contest from Badami, I will still remain and work like a Badami MLA, I can never forget the people of Badami,'' he added.
The Congress legislature party leader, who is nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions in the event of party coming to power, and is looking for a ''safe seat'', in January announced that he will be contesting the polls from the Kolar, ending all speculations.
Siddaramaiah, who currently represents Badami segment of Bagalkote district in north Karnataka, has repeatedly indicated that he may not contest from there, citing his inability to devote more time for people and party workers of the constituency as the reason.
Speaking to supporters, amid repeated interruptions from them with calls to contest from Badami again, he said, ''In my application to the Congress party I have said that I'm a sitting member in Badami. I will contest if the high command asks me to contest from there, if not, people from Varuna are asking me to contest from there and if the party agrees I will contest from there, people from Kolar are also calling and if asked I will contest from there.'' Noting that his plans of contesting from constituency other than Badami, is only because, he will not be able to be with the people there and address their issues on a daily basis, he said, ''people of Badami are good, you made me, someone who had come from Mysuru to win from your place. I'm indebted to you.''
''I will inform the high command, regarding your pressure on me to contest from Badami once again. The high command will meet after February 26 after the AICC session, when the screening committee meeting will be called. Party observers from Delhi, who met me this morning too have seen you with your demand, the party will ultimately decide,'' he added.
Siddaramaiah, who had earlier too announced that 2023 assembly polls will be his last, had made it clear that he would not contest from his former constituency Chamundeshwari in Mysuru. As the then sitting CM, he lost the 2018 polls in Chamundeshwari to JD(S) G T Deve Gowda by 36,042 votes.
He, however, won Badami, the other constituency from where he had contested in the 2018 polls, and defeated B Sriramulu (BJP) by 1,696 votes.
Making his debut in the Assembly in 1983, Siddaramaiah had got elected from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal Party ticket. He has won five times from this constituency and tasted defeat thrice.
After neighbouring Varuna became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation, Siddaramaiah represented it till he vacated the seat for his son Dr Yatindra (MLA) in the 2018 assembly polls and went back to his old constituency of Chamundeshwari.
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CM Siddaramaiah calls for united action against fake news, warns of legal consequences
Mysuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued a stern warning, stating that the government will take strong legal action against individuals spreading fake news. Speaking at the district journalists' association's Press Day and award ceremony on Saturday, he expressed concern over the growing threat of misinformation, urging society to come together to tackle the issue.
The Chief Minister stressed that while laws have been put in place to penalize those responsible for spreading fake news, legal measures alone are not enough. He stressed on the need for a collective effort to combat the rise of misinformation. "Laws are crucial, but it is the responsibility of society as a whole to reject fake news and ensure that truth prevails," he said.
Citing a personal example, Siddaramaiah recalled an incident during an assembly session where he quoted former CM BS Yediyurappa, who had asked, "Do we have a printing machine to print currency to waive loans?" However, a distorted version of the statement was later circulated on social media, falsely attributing the comment to Siddaramaiah and linking it to the state's guarantee schemes. "This false information not only misled the public but caused harm to me and society as a whole," he remarked.
The CM also highlighted the government's efforts to counter misinformation, announcing the formation of special fact-check units in every district. These units are tasked with identifying and addressing the spread of fake news, with the goal of preserving truth and transparency in public discourse.
"Freedom of expression is a fundamental right granted by our Constitution," Siddaramaiah said, adding that if misinformation threatens the three branches of the Constitution—legislative, executive, and judiciary—society itself will be in danger.
