Nanjangud: Declaring that PWD Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa is in the race for the Chief Minister’s post, CM Siddharamaiah  asserted that the Congress would retain power in the forth coming Assembly polls.

Addressing the gathering at the launch of a slew of projects and developmental works in Nanjangud and Varuna Assembly segments  at a programme jointly organised by the District Administration and ZP at Vidyavardhaka College Grounds in the Temple Town yesterday, Siddharamaiah said that there were persistent demands for a dalit Chief Minister even since the Congress came to power. But the cries have become feeble with Assembly polls round the corner, he said while reiterating that the PWD Minister, a dalit, was very much in the race for the CM’s post.

Pointing out that Nanjangud, T. Narsipur and Varuna Assembly constituencies were all represented by the Congress, he said that the Government has spend nearly Rs. 400 crore for the development of Nanjangud taluk.

Maintaining that the Government has launched several ‘Bhagyas’ such as Anna Bhagya for making Karnataka a totally hunger free State, the CM said that his Government was always ready to sanction funds for developmental works across the State.

Claiming that there were no differences within the Congress, Siddharamaiah lashed out at the BJP for making baseless allegations against the Congress. Continuing his tirade against the BJP, he ridiculed the State BJP saying that the party’s (BJP) Mission-150 had now become Mission-50.

Stating that the Congress retained Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly bypolls despite the BJP’s vicious campaign, Siddharamaiah expressed confidence that the people of the State will vote for the Congress again in the forthcoming Assembly polls.

Clarifying that Nanjangud sitting MLA Kalale Keshavamurthy, who won last year’s bypoll, would be fielded again in the coming Assembly polls, Siddharamaiah said that he had toured 28 districts of the State beginning from Dec.13, during which he found that the people of the State were satisfied with his Government’s performance.

PWD and District In-charge Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister Dr. Geetha Mahadevaprasad, MP R. Dhruvanarayan, MLA Vasu, former Minister and MLA Sathish Jarkiholi, MLC R. Dharmasena, Mysuru ZP President Nayeema Sultana, leaders Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah and Sunil Bose, MUDA Chairman D. Dhruvakumar, CADA (Cauvery) Chairman H.S. Nanjappa, ZAK Chairperson Mallige Veeresh, Valmiki Development Corporation former Chairman S.C. Basavaraj, Nanjangud CMC President Pushpalatha, Vice-President Pradeep and other leaders were present.