I’ll lead 2018 campaign and contest polls, says Siddaramaiah

Soon after the declaration of byelection results on Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would not only lead the party’s campaign in 2018 but also contest the Legislative Assembly election. He told presspersons here that the Congress would remain in power after the 2018 elections and that the people of the State had been “happy with the development works undertaken by his government”. A couple of years ago, the Chief Minister had said he was tired of politics and would not contest the 2018 elections. Unlike the BJP, the Congress focused its campaign on the development agenda and implementation of promises the government had made in the last four budgets, said the Chief Minister. The former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s promise of adopting Nanjangud and Gundlupet constituencies once his party returns to power in 2018 backfired on the BJP, Mr. Siddaramaiah said. The voters have given a “fitting reply” to the former External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna who joined the BJP ahead of the byelections and described the Congress government as the worst government he had seen in the State, the Chief Minister said. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara said the party’s inclusive growth and inclusive justice policy worked in the elections.