Mysuru: Stung by criticism for not visiting Suttur Mutt when Congress President Rahul Gandhi visited Mysuru recently, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, accompanied by his son Dr. Yathindra, visited Suttur Mutt at the foot of Chamundi Hill this morning and sought the blessings of Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji.

During his visit, the CM held secret parleys with the seer and only the Seer and the CM were said to be present. The CM is said to have told the Seer that Rahul Gandhi could not meet him as he (the Seer) was away in Hyderabad.

The Suttur Seer enquired about the health of Siddharamaiah as the CM suffered minor head injuries when he fell from a chair at a dinner during the course of his campaign in Chamundeshwari Constituency a couple of days ago. The CM  told the Seer that he fell off accidentally from the chair which was an old one.

Before leaving to Suttur from his Ramakrishnanagar residence, more than 100 leaders from BJP and JD(S) joined the Congress. Addressing reporters, the CM hit out at State BJP Chief B.S. Yeddyurappa and State JD(S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy for repeatedly saying that they will ensure his defeat in Chamundeshwari. He re-asserted that he would contest from Chamundeshwari.

Earlier, a delegation of Congress leaders from Kollegal met the CM and urged him not to allot the Kollegal ticket to A.R. Krishnamurthy, a recent entrant to the party.

The delegation wanted the  party ticket to sitting MLA S. Jayanna. They warned the CM that issuing the party ticket to Krishnamurthy would mean defeat of Congress in Kollegal.