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Updated October 5th, 2021 at 22:59 IST

Siddaramaiah discusses by-polls with Sonia Gandhi; 'not interested in national politics'

Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday met party's National President Sonia Gandhi & discussed bypolls

Siddaramaiah
PTI | Image:self
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Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday met party's National President Sonia Gandhi and held talks on the upcoming by-polls in two assembly constituencies in the state and on other pivotal party concerns. The former Karnataka Chief Minister said his interests were confined only to state-level politics.

"I was called for a meeting. I met Sonia Gandhi. By-elections and the Congress party issues were discussed in the meeting," the LoP in the Karnataka state assembly told media persons following the meeting. By-polls in Singdi and Hangal assembly constituencies are scheduled to be held on October 30. 

Speculations over Siddaramaih's role in Delhi

It is pertinent to mention that speculations are high over Siddaramaih's inclusion in the Congress high command for providing support to former All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Rahul Gandhi. When asked if Congress was considering a larger responsibility for him in the national-level politics, the former Karnataka Chief Minister said it is "incorrect". "Except for Karnataka politics, no national politics was discussed in the meeting," Siddaramaiah said adding that he was "not interested" in national politics. The former CM said it was the state politics that his interest lies in.

'Political interest confined only to Karnataka'

The former Karnataka CM said that he had earlier turned his back to the position of the party's General Secretary that was offered to him by former party chief Rahul Gandhi. The LoP said that he was also made a member of the Congress Working Committee but had stepped down from the post too. Sources in the party informed that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had been meeting party heavyweights from across the country and states soliciting their recommendations to strengthening the outfit's stronghold at the national level.

Notably, talks about Siddaramaiah's role in national politics in Congress have been evident in the past. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had recently told the Legislative Assembly that there were many in the Karnataka Congress who want to send Siddaramaih to New Delhi to execute an effective role in national politics while he preferred state politics.  The Karnataka LoP had criticized the ruling  BJP for the deaths of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh and the detention of party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other political leaders during their visit to the spot. 

Inputs: PTI

Image: PTI

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Published October 5th, 2021 at 22:59 IST

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