Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced that he will “quit” electoral politics” after the May 10 elections, reports news agency ANI. Speaking at a rally in Varuna, Mysuru, the Congress leader said, “After this election, I will quit electoral politics.”
Siddaramaiah‘s name featured in the first list of candidates released by Congress that was released on May 25. The MLA was hopeful of contesting from the second seat of Kolar in Bidar. However, the seat later went to Kothur Manjunath, a former legislator from Mulbagal.
Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting MLA of Varuna. Yathindra has announced that he will not contest the polls.
“I won’t contest from any constituency. I have started campaigning for my father Siddaramaiah since January. The Varuna constituency does not belong to any individual. I have not sacrificed my seat for my father. The voters own the constituency,” he said, as quoted by Deccan Herald.
“This is the last election of my father and people of Varuna constituency wanted him to contest,” he said.
In the last Assembly elections, Yathindra had won by a margin of more than 45,000 votes, and his father Siddaramaiah had contested from two seats – Chamundeshwari and Badami, and had won from the latter.
Voting for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be on May 10, and the results will be declared on May 13. The party has so far released three lists, and has so far announced 209 names.