Chamarajanagar visits have only strengthened my position, says CM

Ridiculing the belief that any Chief Minister who visited Chamarajanagar ended up losing his post, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that on the contrary it had helped strengthen his position.

Ridiculing the belief that any Chief Minister who visited Chamarajanagar ended up losing his post, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that on the contrary it had helped strengthen his position.

He was speaking after inaugurating the renovated government higher primary school at Sathegala in Chamarajanagar district on Saturday.

Mr. Siddaramaiah referred to the old stigma attached to Chamarajanagar and dubbed it as a superstitious belief.

“I have visited Chamarajanagar more than 20 times and ended up becoming Chief Miniter twice. My visits to the district has only strengthened my position,” he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that when Chamarajanagar was carved out of the undivided Mysuru, the then Chief Minister J.H.Patel preferred to make the announcement from M.M. Hills. ‘’I was the Deputy Chief Minister and along with B. Rachaiah insisted on inauguration of the new district from Chamarajanagar,’’ he recalled.

When a member from the audience remarked that Mr. Siddarmaiah should become the Chief Minister for the third time as well, the latter, perhaps referring to his age, remarked that he was in the “last stage of his political life.”

However, Mr. Siddaramiah said that it was an indication of the love and affection of the people without which one could not survive for long in politics. In this context Siddaramaiah paid tributes to the late Rachaiah, former Minister, and said that he played an important role in his political growth.