Karnataka Polls: Video of Siddaramaiah's ‘divine’ wish to contest from 2 seats goes viral

Bengaluru, Jan 13: Should Congress leader Siddaramaiah contest from two assembly segments in 2023, like he did in 2018? Yes, seems to be the ''divine wish'', expressed by a priest, who is said to have been possessed by goddess of a temple, which the former Chief Minister's MLA son Yathindra visited.

The incident allegedly took place, when Yathindra visited goddess 'Adinadu Chikkamma Taayi' temple at Chottnahalli in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district, last week, to attend an event at the shrine.

The purported video of the incident that has gone viral on various social media platforms shows the priest Linganna, who is said to have been possessed by the goddess, cryptically gives a message to Yathindra, possibly suggesting that his father Siddararamaiah should contest from two seats, instead of one.

'ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ ಎರಡು ಕಡೆ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು...'

‘ನಿಮಗೆ ಪ್ರಬಲ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳ ವಿರೋಧ ಇದೆ, ಒಂದು ಕಡೆ ಬಾಹುಬಲ ಚಾಚಿದ್ರೆ ಅಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಬಾಹುಬಲ ಎರಡು ಕಡೆ ಚಾಚಬೇಕು. ಒಂದೇ ಕಡೆ ಚಾಚಿದ್ರೆ ತಪ್ಪಾಗುತ್ತದೆ' ಎಂದು ಮಳವಳ್ಳಿಯ ಆದಿನಾಡು ಚಿಕ್ಕಮ್ಮ ತಾಯಿ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಯತೀಂದ್ರ ಮೂಲಕ‌ ತಿಳಿಸಿದೆ. #Siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/2JVnkDqu0c

— Harishankar.R| ಹರಿಶಂಕರ್ (@harishankarR89) January 13, 2023

In the message regarding Yathindra's ''elder'', purportedly referring to Siddaramaiah, the priest possessed by goddess says, ''It is not enough to stretch your arm strength towards one direction, you should stretch your arms strength in two directions.... If it is on one side, it will be a blunder. If you stretch your arms on both sides, I will ensure your victory.'' The goddess through the priest is also said to have told Yathindra about her being his family deity, and asked them to visit the temple,as reported by PTI.

The priest Linganna, speaking to press today said, he is not aware what he uttered when the goddess had possessed him, but only learnt about the conversation through the video clip, and confirmed its content. This development comes days after Siddaramaiah announced his wish to contest the assembly polls by May from the Kolar assembly segment.

Meanwhile, indicating that options are still open, Yathindra speaking to reporters said that he is not aware of what's in his father's mind, and one should wait and see what he decides.

''If he and party decides to contest from two places, he will. If the high command decides that he should contest from one seat, he will contest from one, everything is open, let's see what he and the party decides,'' he said, while clarifying that such decisions are purely political in nature and have nothing to do with what happened at the temple.

Confirming the happenings that day, Yathindra said, during the visit to the temple, the priest, who was said to have been possessed by the goddess, said spread arms on both directions and good would happen.

''I'm not much bothered about it and have not gone to interpret it as well. It was said that the priest was possessed by god, but to what extent to believe in such things, I don't know, as I have never followed and seen such things,'' he said, adding that their family deity in their native village of Siddaramana Hundi is also 'Chikkamma Taayi'.

Responding to a question, the Varuna MLA said, not only the priest, many people have advised Siddaramaiah to contest from two constituencies including leaders and workers in the party.

Reiterating his stand that he wanted Siddaramaiah to contest from Varuna, he said, but my father has announced Kolar to be his constituency, subjected to high command's decision, during his recent visit there.

''So, I don't know what my father and high command decides, there is nothing to speculate now itself,'' he said, as he maintained that his wish and that of his workers is that Siddaramaiah should contest from Varuna, as this will be his last election.

Siddaramaiah, not wanting to contest from Badami, his current constituency, in Bagalkote district of north Karnataka region, was looking for a ''safe seat'' and on January 9 had announced his willingness to contest from Kolar, if party permits.

In the 2018 assembly polls he had contested from two seats- Chamundeshwari and Badami.

As the then sitting chief minister, 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 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 Camundeshwari.

It is no secret that Siddaramaiah, who was chief minister between 2013-2018, is nursing his ambition for a second term in office, if the party wins the next assembly polls. With State Congress President D K Shivakumar too having similar aspirations, it has triggered a game of one-upmanship between the two leaders.