A shock defeat in his home district Mysuru has surely shaken former chief minister Siddaramaiah, as much as the Congress Party's poor show in the 2018 Assembly polls has. A humiliating defeat in his home turf Chamundeshwari constituency by his old friend and sitting JD(S) MLA G.T. Devegowda has pushed Siddaramaiah into silence mode. Neary 23 days after the poll results, Siddaramaiah finally set foot in his home district, but skipped visiting Chamundeshwari, a constituency that had given him a political rebirth in the past.
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah went to Mysuru to express his gratitude to the voters of Varuna for ensuring the victory of his son Yathindra. At the same time, the Kuruba strongman made his discontent known to his detractors with his sarcastic remarks. “I don't want to wear the Mysuru turban, as the people here have already put a hat (ditched me) on my head,” said Siddaramaiah, when a party worker hoped to felicitate him.
“My defeat is not shocking to me, but to the media. I have always taken both victory and defeat in my stride. This is not the first time I have lost an election,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said, “In 2008 and 2013, people of Varuna elected me. Had I contested from here again this time, I would have won. However, you have elected my son and my responsibility towards the development of Varuna is only increased.”
“I have never been disheartened by my failures. But I still wonder why people did not ensure my victory, despite all my good work. Why they did not appreciate my work, intrigues me. Small issues were blown into big concerns. I have been honestly serving the people. I will accept people's verdict. My state of mind has remained the same, with or without power,” said Siddaramaiah, who also recalled his speech in Badami two days prior to the Mysuru tour.
“I believe in social justice and have never favoured any particular caste. Was our loan waiver limited to any particular caste? Anna Bhagya, Krishi Bhagya or the housing schemes have benefited people of all castes. My government had reached out to 6.5 crore people. After I became the CM, the size of the state budget increased by Rs 1.07000 crore. Is that not progress?,” asked Siddaramaiah.
“Voters of Chamundeshwari fell prey to the conspiracy and voted me out. But people of Badami have reposed their faith in my leadership by electing me and I thank you all for not falling for the inducements of the opponents,” said Siddaramaiah, while addressing people of Badami.
On his first ever tour after the poll debacle, Siddaramaiah visited Badami, the constituency that turned out to be the only saving grace, though it was a narrow-margin victory (1600 votes). A pensive Siddaramaiah, who visited several villages in Badami and took part in an Iftar party, too, chose to address only voters of Varuna during his visit to Mysuru.
“Politics is not stagnant water nor is it a simple addition. It is about the different possibilities. In politics, people like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Indira Gandhi and Devaraj Urs have been defeated. History tells us that it is always the good people who go through difficult times. I bow my head and accept people's mandate. This is a democracy. I will not worry about what my critics and opponents have to tell me,” said Siddaramaiah, who also assured that the new coalition government would continue all the “pro-people” programmes like Anna Bhagya, Ksheera or Krishi bhagya and Indira canteens implemented during his regime.
“I will not contest elections. But I will not retire from politics,” clarified Siddaramaiah, adding that he would not introspect and dissect the polls to find a reason for his defeat. I will not introspect. I accept the verdict of people,” said the former CM, who is also the chairman of the coordination committee that is entrusted with the task of running the coalition smoothly.
Siddaramaiah dismissed any possibility of dissidence among the Congress MLAs saying he had spoken to senior leaders who had been denied cabinet berth. “I have spoken to M.B. Patil, B.C. Patil, M.T. Nagaraj, Dr Sudhakar Lal, Eshwar Khandre and SR Patil. None will quit the party.”
To a question on chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's remark that the corridors of Vidhana Soudha were a “corruption den”, Siddaramaiah asked Kumarswamy to “stop corruption” if it has come to his notice.
Siddaramaiah who chairs the coordination committee of the two coalition partners (who have entered a pre-poll alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls), is preparing to go on a 15-day rejuvenation (nature-cure) camp at Dharmasthala. “The coordination committee meetings will address immediate concerns. We also have to gear up for Parliament elections to defeat the communal BJP,” says Siddaramaiah.