Karnataka elections 2023: Suspense around Siddaramaiah ends

The suspense over former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's constituency- Kolar or Varuna- has come to an end as Congress has released its first list of 124 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections 2023.

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah will be contesting from Varuna consituency while DK Shivakumar will be contesting from Kanakapura constituency.

The party has fielded former deputy chief minister G Parameshwara from the Koratagere (SC) constituency. Former ministers KH Muniappa and Priyanka Kharge will contest from Devanahalli and Chitapur (SC), respectively. Priyanka is the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Varuna is currently represented by his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah had earlier won twice from Varuna, and even went on to become the Chief Minister after winning from the seat in 2013.

Congress Central Election Committee held a meeting in Delhi and had finalised the candidates' list on March 17. The first list was set to be released on March 22 but was delayed reportedly due to confusion over Siddaramiah's constituency.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah as per PTI said, "There is one opinion at home that I should be contesting from Varuna, so I have said (to the party's central leadership), clear Varuna, let's see." The Congress leader said,"At home, they are saying that I should be contesting from one more constituency, let's see, I haven't thought about it." However, whether he would contest in one more constituency would be known only after the details of all the contesting candidates and their constituencies are announced.

On the other hand, Shiavanada Patil has been selected as the Congress candidate for Basavana Bagevadi.

The press release was issued by Mukul Wasnik, Congress General Secretary Incharge-CEC, on Saturday.