Tag: Varuna

Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah locked in fierce fight with BJP’s Somanna in Varuna

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Varuna: It’s a battle royale in the Varuna constituency in Mysuru district where the BJP with all its might has decided to take Congress strongman Siddaramaiah head-on in his home turf in the May 10 Assembly election.
The ruling party has fielded Housing Minister V Somanna against the former Chief Minister, who is fighting his last election, in this segment, where his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah won the previous polls in 2018.
As the then Chief Minister, he contested from Chamundeshwari in Mysuru district from where he had been an MLA five times but had lost twice there, and Badami in Bagalkote district.

Siddaramaiah lost to JD(S) candidate G T Deve Gowda in Chamundeshwari but won from Badami with a margin of 1,696 votes against BJP’s B Sriramulu.
“We have fielded Somanna as our candidate from Varuna. You (people) make him MLA and send him to the Assembly. I’m telling you that BJP will make him a big personality…,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who addressed an election rally a few days ago.
The Sangh Parivar has put all its energy behind the 72-year-old Somanna, who had been an MLA from Govindaraj Nagar in Bengaluru, from where he has been moved out for the first time.
According to Somanna, a five-time MLA, he was not willing to contest election this time and wanted to retire but the BJP top leadership asked him to fight from Varuna and Chamarajanagar segments and he could not say no to them.
“What else can I say when the Prime Minister asked me to contest from Varuna? I agreed to it,” Somanna said.

The 75-year-old Siddaramaiah, an eight time MLA, is upbeat about his electoral prospects.
“As Chief Minister I have given many good programmes. I have done a lot of work here for the people. This is my last election and after this, I am going to retire from active politics,” said.
The electioneering in Varuna has become ‘star-studded’.
Kannada actors Shivaraj Kumar and B R Vijay Kumar, popularly known as Duniya Vijay, campaigned for Somanna, while Sommanna brought in renowned actor Sudeep Sanjeev, fondly called as Kichcha Sudeep, to add star appeal.
The electoral fight is so fierce here that many voters say: “We have not seen a poll battle like this before”.
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#Karnataka #polls #Siddaramaiah #locked #fierce #fight #BJPs #Somanna #Varuna
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 6, 2023
Battle for Varuna: Shah to campaign on Siddaramaiah’s turf today

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Mysuru: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will campaign in the Varuna constituency on Tuesday, where the battle is between Congress strongman, Siddaramaiah and senior BJP leader and state minister V. Somanna.
The constituency is witnessing a tight contest, and campaigning has turned bitter. Violent incidents have also been reported. What seemed to be a cake-walk for Siddaramaiah has changed now, and with Shah campaigning the fight could be cut-throat.
Amit Shah is addressing a public rally in the Hosakote village of the constituency. Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, MP and veteran leader V. Srinivasparasad, who is a prominent Dalit leader in the region, are participating in the programme.

The Home Minister wants to send a strong signal to the voters that fielding of Somanna against Siddaramaiah was a serious and calculated move of the party. The programme will also put an end to the rumours in the political circles that Somanna is being made a sacrificial goat by the party.
However, souces said that the BJP had planned to confine Siddaramaiah to Varuna constituency and plans to not allow him to take up statewide tours and campaign for Congress.
Siddaramaiah is considered to be the leader of oppressed classes and he often takes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and RSS chief. BJP has been strategizing for his downfall in the state politics for a long time.
However, the contest for him this time is proving to be a cliffhanger as the Lingayat community comprises the largest group of voters in the constituency. By roping in veteran Dalit leader Srinivasprasad, the BJP wants to consolidate the equally biggest chunk of votes of SC/ST and OBCs in the seat.
It was rumoured that Yediyurappa and Somanna had locked horns and there would be division of Lingayat votes. However, Amit Shah is ensuring Yediyurappa is present and pledges his support for Somanna. In fact, Yediyurappa had already stated that he would ensure the defeat of Siddaramaiah.

Siddaramaiah, who stated he would not even bother to visit the constituency and his victory is ensured, had to rush and conduct day-long campaigning recently. The BJP and Congress workers are in confrontation mode and the situation is volatile as polling day is getting closer. Siddaramaiah is vying for the post of Chief Minister if the Congress is voted to power. BJP has promised a big role for Somanna if he defeats Siddaramaiah.
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#Battle #Varuna #Shah #campaign #Siddaramaiahs #turf #today
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah files nomination from Varuna

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Mysuru: Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday filed nomination from Varuna constituency in this district, for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly was accompanied by former Minister H C Mahadevappa and Congress leaders.
Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting Congress MLA from Varuna.

The 75-year-old, eight time MLA, had earlier won twice from Varuna, and went on to become the Leader of Opposition after winning from here in 2008, and then became Chief Minister after 2013 Assembly polls.
The Congress legislature party leader offered prayers to his family deity Siddarameshwara at the temple in his native village of Siddaramanahundi, and also visited Sri Rama temple there, and held a massive roadshow before filing the nomination.
He also visited the famous Chamundeshwari temple, on Chamundi hills in Mysuru, and addressed a public meeting ahead of filing papers.
The ruling BJP has fielded Minister V Somanna from Varuna to take on Siddaramaiah.
By filing nomination in Varuna, Siddaramaiah has returned to his home constituency after contesting from neighbouring Chamundeshwari, and Badami in Bagalkote district, in 2018 polls. He had faced a defeat in Chamundeshwari, but had won in Badami.

A Chief Ministerial aspirant in the event of Congress coming to power, he has already declared that this will be his last election.
Filing of nominations for the election ends on April 20. Voting will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be on May 13.
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#Karnataka #polls #Siddaramaiah #files #nomination #Varuna
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 19, 2023
Karnataka: Will Yediyurappa’s son take on Siddaramaiah from Varuna?

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Bengaluru: Amid speculation over whom the BJP would field against Karnataka Congress strongman Siddaramaiah in Varuna constituency in the May 10 Assembly polls, party stalwart B S Yediyurappa on Thursday did not rule out the possibility of his son B Y Vijayendra entering the fray.
Varuna in Mysuru district is among the key seats to watch out for as Siddaramaiah, the Congress legislature party leader and former Chief Minister, has thrown his hat in the ring in this segment, currently represented his son Yathindra.
When asked by reporters whether Vijayendra would be fielded from Varuna, Yediyurappa said, “Discussions are going on. Siddaramaiah knows that his ground is slipping away. I don’t think it is so easy for him. We will field a good candidate. We will give a tough fight. Let’s see what happens.”
The BJP veteran and four-time Chief Minister said the decision on whether to give the Varuna ticket to Vijayendra, who is the state BJP vice-president, would be left to the party’s central leadership.
Commenting about it, Siddaramaiah told reporters at the Congress office that he was not bothered about the candidate who would contest against him.
Congress state president D K Shivakumar who was also present, quipped that his party would welcome it if Yediyurappa himself decided to contest from Varuna.
Yediyurappa has announced his retirement from electoral politics.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 30, 2023
Karnataka: Siddaramaiah indicates he may contest from Varuna & 1 more seat

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Chitradurga: Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday indicated that he might contest from his home constituency of Varuna in Mysuru district in the upcoming Assembly polls.
The Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly also hinted at fighting the elections from two constituencies, including Varuna, like he did in 2018.
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.
“From many constituencies they (supporters and party workers) are asking…. From 25 constituencies they are asking (me to contest). I cannot contest from all 25 constituencies. 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,” Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “…at home they are saying that I should be contesting from one more constituency, let’s see, I haven’t thought about it.”
The Congress legislature party leader who is nursing chief ministerial ambitions in the event of the party coming to power, and has been looking for a “safe seat”, had announced in January that he would contest from Kolar, reportedly after conducting surveys. He did say, however, that it would be subject to the approval of the party’s central leadership.
Last week there were reports that the Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the party’s Central Election Committee meeting, advised Siddaramaiah not to contest from Kolar, which is said to be “risky” for him.

Following this, Siddaramaiah on Tuesday told a large group of supporters from Kolar who had gathered near his residence here that the Congress high command had asked him not to take even “one percent risk” while choosing a constituency to contest the elections.
Stating that the high command had left the decision to him, and had asked him to be available for campaigning across the state ahead of the elections, he had said, “I will speak to my son and my wife and arrive at a decision.”
Siddaramaiah, who currently represents Badami segment of Bagalkote district in the northern part of the state, has repeatedly indicated that he may not contest from there, citing his inability to give more time to people and party workers of the constituency as the reason.
The 75-year-old leader, who has announced that the 2023 assembly polls will be his last, has made it clear that he would not contest from his former constituency of Chamundeshwari in Mysuru. As the then sitting Chief Minister, he lost the 2018 polls in Chamundeshwari to G T Deve Gowda of the JD(S) by 36,042 votes.
He, however, won Badami, the other constituency from where he had contested the 2018 polls, and defeated B Sriramulu of the 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 Yathindra Siddaramaiah (MLA) in the 2018 Assembly polls and went back to his old constituency of Chamundeshwari.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 24, 2023