Upcoming K’taka assembly polls my last electoral battle, says Siddaramaiah

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reiterated that upcoming Assembly elections will be his last electoral battle, but he will remain active in Karnataka politics. The former Chief Minister last month announced his decision to contest from Kolar this time, subject to approval from the Congress high command. However, he said he is ready to enter the poll fray from whichever segment the party asks him to, whether it is from Badami or Varuna. On Tuesday, he addressed a large number of his supporters and party workers who had come from Badami, to urge him to contest from his current constituency once again. ”You have to understand my difficulty too, I’m 76 now, and this will be my last election, I will not be contesting an election again. I will be in politics, but will not contest polls, this is my last election,” Siddaramaiah said. The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said, ”I have thought about contesting the election from a constituency nearer (to Bengaluru). Despite this, I will contest from wherever the high command asks me to.” ”If they ask me to contest from Badami I will contest from Badami, if they say Varuna, I will contest from there and if they say Kolar, I will contest from there. Please don’t mistake me, in case I don’t contest from Badami, I will still remain and work like a Badami MLA, I can never forget the people of Badami,” he added. The Congress legislature party leader, who is nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions in the event of party coming to power, and is looking for a ”safe seat”, in January announced that he will be contesting the polls from the Kolar, ending all speculations.