Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah dares Yeddyurappa to contest from his seat

Mysuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday dared BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa to contest from the Varuna constituency in the May 12 assembly election. "I challenge Yeddyurappa to contest from Varuna if he is so sure of winning instead of fielding his second son (B.Y. Vijayendra) against my son Yathindra," Siddaramaiah said.

Though the Chief Minister was re-elected twice from Varuna since 2008 assembly poll, he is likely to field Yathindra this time, as he is planning to contest from Chamundeshwari in the same district.

He said that the BJP, which failed to win a single seat in the Mysuru region in May 2013 assembly election now "boasts of defeating me or my son this time. I accept the challenge. Let Yeddyurappa or his son contest against me or my son". "As the people of Varuna know of my contribution to the constituency, they will certainly vote for those who worked and none else," said Siddaramaiah.

Questioning Yeddyurappa`s credentials to contest from any assembly segment in Mysuru region, he asked what was the BJP leader`s contribution to the region or the state during his three-year tenure. 

"What is his (Yeddyurappa) connection with Varuna or Mysuru. As people are wise, they know whom to vote. Even if my son contests, people will vote for him and not Yeddyurappa`s son (Vijayendra)," he said.

Meanwhile, Vijayendra visited a couple of Hindu temples in the region on Monday and offered prayers to goddess Chamundeshwari atop the hill at Mysuru and Male Mahadeshwara Swamy at Chamarajanagar in the neighbouring district.