Karnataka Election 2023: Why Siddaramaiah should reconsider contesting from Kolar seat?

A section of the Congress in Karnataka is hoping that the party high command will persuade Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to contest from the "tough" Kolar constituency, just 60 km away from Bengaluru.

A party internal survey in the Congress has revealed a "setback" to Siddaramaiah if he contested from Kolar. The central leaders reportedly conveyed survey findings to Siddaramaiah through Rahul Gandhi, after the party's Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi on Friday.

The Congress leadership has asked Siddaramaiah not to take even 1% risk while deciding on the constituency.

Gandhi reportedly asked Siddaramaiah to contest from Varuna constituency in Mysuru district, represented by his son Yathindra.

A large number of the former Chief Minister's supporters on Tuesday sought to pile pressure on him to stick to his decision to contest from Kolar in the elections, due by May, even though the party's central leadership has reportedly made it clear that they are not in favour of the move.

Siddaramaiah, however, denied that the party's central leadership had advised him not to contest from Kolar, and termed such reports "disinformation".

In the 2018 Assembly elections, he contested from two segments. He won in Badami in Bagalkot district and lost in Chamundeshwari in Mysuru district.

Siddaramaiah said the central leadership had told him not to take even "one per cent risk" in the choice of his constituency and asked him to tour the entire state for campaigning.

The party had left the decision on constituency selection to him, the Congress Legislature Party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly said.

Siddaramaiah had in January announced that he would contest from Kolar, subject to the approval of the party's central leadership, and had reiterated his desire multiple times thereafter.

Denying such reports, Siddaramaiah said: "There was no discussion on Kolar (constituency). It has been kept pending. They (central leadership) have not said, "Contest from Kolar or do not contest from Kolar'".

Yediyurappa's prediction on poll gamble

Interestingly, senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa had claimed that Siddaramaiah was allegedly playing a drama by saying he would not contest the Assembly polls from Kolar segment as announced, and may go back to his home district of Mysuru instead.

"Today itself I will say one thing, don't think I'm making a prediction, Siddaramaiah will not contest from Kolar for any reason, he is playing a drama and is trying to go back to Mysuru," Yediyurappa said.