First phase polls to witness battle between Cong, BJP: Cong leader

Mysore, Apr 26 (UNI) Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader S Siddaramaiah today said there would be a fierce battle between the Congress and the BJP in the State Assembly elections.

Addressing the party workers at Chamundeshwari constituency here, he claimed that the JD(S)'s prospects in the elections had ''completely diminished.'' It had become a ''headless'' party at many regions in the state, following the large-scale migration of top leaders either to the Congress or to the BJP.

Mr Siddaramaiah also recalled that in the last by-elections, he had won the Chamundeswari seat on a JD (S) ticket. He said he had changed the constituency to facilitate the victory of other congressmen and did not mean that he had left the constituency.

He said the same constituency had given five times victory for him and would not forget the support of the people there and requested them to extend the same support to the Congress candidate, contesting from there.

Expressing confidence that the Congress would emerge victorious and come to power in the state, he said it was the only party that would provide good governance and uplift the downtrodden.

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