India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
Senior Congress leader and former chief minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, on Sunday dropped a new bombshell, saying he will not contest the 2028 assembly elections. Siddaramaiah said he is ageing and politics today has become “thoroughly corrupted”.
Siddaramaiah added, that he will keep raising voice of the oppressed and stand by the people.
Karnataka’s former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared he won’t run in the 2028 assembly polls, citing his age and the perceived corruption in politics, while affirming his commitment to advocating for the oppressed.
A few months back, Congress top leadership replaced Siddaramaiah with his DK Shivakumar as the chief minister of Karnataka.
In a post in Kannada on micro-blogging site X, formerly Twitter, in, Siddaramaiah said that people of Varuna constituency have given him immense love and want him to contest the 2028 elections again. In past, they provided everything to ensure his victory, but that is not the situation anymore, he said.
Congressman highlighted his age, stating he is currently 79-year-old and will turn 81-82 when the next assembly polls take place.
His health is not robust anymore, and he can not “work with the same enthusiasm as before”.
“By 2028, I will be 82 years old. That will mark the completion of 50 years in my political life,” Siddaramaiah said.
“I began my political journey in 1978 as a taluk board member. I have seen both defeats and victories. But I take satisfaction in the fact that I have not acted against the principles I believed in, nor betrayed my conscience,” he added.
Siddaramaiah further said politics has become “thoroughly corrupted and honest politics seems to have no leg to stand on”.
