Kolar: Ending his search for a ‘safe constituency,’ Opposition Leader and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah yesterday declared here that he would be contesting the forthcoming Assembly polls from Kolar constituency.

Siddharamaiah made this announcement at the Kolar Congress party workers meeting held at the Mini Stadium here yesterday. With this announcement, it is almost certain that the former CM is not going to contest from Badami, which he currently represents in the Assembly.

Addressing the party workers, Siddharamaiah said that he cannot ever forget the affection shown by people of Badami, Varuna and Chamundeshwari constituencies, from where he had contested in the past.

Pointing out that though he has opted to contest from Kolar, the Congress party High Command will have the final say on the matter, he said that there is a candidate selection process in the Congress and as such he cannot declare his candidature on his own. He is, however, confident that the Congress High Command will field him from his now chosen constituency Kolar, he added.

Asserting that the blessings of people is key for every people representative to survive in politics, Siddharamaiah recalled his decades old political journey.

Pointing out that he had contested from Chamundeshwari five times and twice from Varuna Assembly segment in his home district of Mysuru, he said that he is currently MLA from Badami in Bagalkot district and he cannot ever forget the support of the people there. Such is the affection that the people of Badami have towards him, that they have offered to get him a helicopter out of their own money, he added.