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Mysuru, January 5 (IANS): Amid the leadership tussle, Siddaramaiah is all set to equal the record of the longest-serving Karnataka Chief Minister, held by D. Devaraj Urs, on Tuesday.
Devaraj Urs served two terms as the Chief Minister of Karnataka - 1972–77 and 1978–80, while Siddaramaiah has been holding the post since May 2023 after serving a full term from 2013 to 2018.
Celebrations are already underway among Siddaramaiah’s supporters and admirers. Congratulatory banners and posters have been put up near the Chief Minister’s residence, including at the circle in front of the Kaveri residence in Bengaluru, marking the occasion of Siddaramaiah achieving the distinction of becoming the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Addressing reporters in Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah on Monday said that with the blessings of the people, he would, on Tuesday (Jan 6), equal the record of late Devaraj Urs in terms of the length of service as Chief Minister of the state. He noted that it was a moment of joy for him as Devaraj Urs also hailed from Mysuru district, to which he himself belongs.
Siddaramaiah said he had never expected to reach such a milestone when he entered politics. "I never imagined that I would become a minister or the Chief Minister. I had only aspired to become an MLA after serving as a taluk board member," he said.
The Chief Minister said he has contested 13 elections in total, including taluk board elections. “So far, I have won eight elections and lost two Parliamentary elections and two Assembly elections,” he said.
Recalling the tenure of Devaraj Urs, he said there was no comparison between him and the late leader. "Devaraj Urs did not belong to a socially backward community. The Urs community is traditionally a ruling class. Though its population is small, he earned immense popularity and became Chief Minister. There can be no comparison between him and me," he said.
Siddaramaiah said circumstances and challenges differed from time to time. "When I first contested elections in 1983, people funded me and voted for me. Similarly, people supported and voted for Devaraj Urs during his tenure. Once, Devaraj Urs was elected unopposed in 1962. Times have changed now," he said.
Noting that political records are meant to be broken, he quipped: "Did Virat Kohli not break the records of Sachin Tendulkar?"
The Chief Minister said he did not believe that such milestones would remain unmatched. "Other leaders may emerge, they may rule for a longer period than me and present more budgets than me," he said.
Devaraj Urs had served as Chief Minister continuously for over seven-and-a-half years, holding office for 7 years and 239 days. Siddaramaiah has now equalled that record across his two terms. S. Nijalingappa, of the Congress, stands third on the list, having served for 7 years and 175 days over three terms. He is followed by Ramakrishna Hegde of the Janata Party, who served for 5 years and 216 days across two stints, while the BJP's B.S. Yediyurappa, with a tenure of 5 years and 82 days in four stints, occupies the fifth position.
Unlike Devaraj Urs, Siddaramaiah did not continue in office immediately after completing his first term, as the Congress failed to return to power at that time. Following the 2018 Assembly elections, which resulted in a hung verdict, the Congress formed a coalition government with the Janata Dal-Secular.
Subsequently, the BJP came to power in the state, with Yediyurappa and later Basavaraj Bommai serving as Chief Ministers. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress secured a clear majority, paving the way for Siddaramaiah to return to office for a second term as Chief Minister.
Siddaramaiah, who was earlier associated with the Lok Dal and Janata Dal, joined the Congress in 2006 and has since held several key positions, including that of Leader of the Opposition. He also served twice as Deputy Chief Minister in the Janata Dal and Janata Dal-Secular governments.
Groomed by JD-S supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda at the beginning of his political career, he later became his close associate. However, after challenging the Deve Gowda family, he was expelled from the JD-S. He subsequently joined the Congress.
Siddaramaiah has also set a record in budget presentation, having presented 16 state budgets so far.
