Contesting from two seats shows Siddaramaiah's 'nervousness': BJP

Siddaramaiah had justified his decision to contest from 2 seats by saying that there was a feeling within the Congress and his supporters that he should contest from both North and South Karnataka.

The BJP has dubbed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah's decision to contest assembly elections from both Chanundeshwari and Badami constituencies as "nervousness". BJP spokesman Sambit Patra, who is in Shimoga, asked why Siddaramaiah was resorting to such tactics if the Congress government had performed in the last 5 years.

Patra also exuded confidence that BJP candidate from Badami, Sriramalu, would defeat Siddaramaiah.

"As far as Siddaramaiah contesting from 2 seats is concerned, our question is you were in govt from last 5 years, if you had performed what was the need for nervousness? If you had performed you would have been confident in contesting from one seat and you would won that," Patra said.

"Sriramulu contesting from Badami is a strategy which will defeat incumbent CM and incumbent CM will no longer be the CM. It's a strategy and that's why Congress is extremely nervous and that's the reason Siddaramaiah himself is very nervous," he added.

Earlier today, while speaking to news agency ANI, Siddaramaiah had justified his decision to contest from two seats by saying that there was a feeling within the Congress and among his supporters that he should contest from both North and South Karnataka.

"People from my party wanted me to contest from North Karnataka. If I contest from north, it will help in neighbouring districts," he said.

The Chief Minister also refuted predictions by most opinion polls that there would be a hung assembly.

"There is no case of a hung assembly according to me. Thus, it does not rise at all," he said.

On the talks that JDS elements are more powerful in Congress, he replied, "Deve Gowda had expelled me from the party (JDS). How come I will have any relationship with him? I'm 100% Congressman, my friends are also Congressmen. They are committed to social justice and secularism."