Karnataka elections: I will be King, will come to power: Ex-CM Kumaraswamy says Siddaramaiah will be defeated

With the Karnataka Assembly poll date nearing, former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) State president HD Kumaraswamy has claimed that he will not be the kingmaker but the king, and Siddaramaiah will be defeated.

Karnataka is witnessing a three-corner contest among the Congress, BJP and the HD Deve Gowda-led JD (S). The result of the election will be out on May 15.

The son of the former Prime Minister said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would not be able to defeat him even after campaigning for a month.

“We will definitely defeat Siddaramaiah this time. He will lose from both Chamundeshwari and Badami. He is an egoistic leader. He has tried his best to finish our party,” Kumaraswamy said speaking to News18.

Dismissing the pre-poll surveys as 'inaccurate' and 'manufactured',  Kumaraswamy said, "There will be no fractured mandate. It will be our government. I will not be a ‘kingmaker’. I will be a king and we will come to power,” 

“We don’t believe in these surveys. They are all manufactured to suit the interests of the Congress and the BJP. No survey favours us. In 2004, these surveys gave us just two seats. But we won 58 seats and formed two coalition governments. There will be no fractured mandate. It will be our government. I will not be a ‘kingmaker’. I will be a king and we will come to power,” he said. 

The former Prime Minister also dismissed the surveys calling them 'bogus'

Speculation has been rife that Siddaramaiah is looking for another constituency amid reports that it will not be an easy poll battle for him from Chamundeshwari.

Siddaramaiah, who represents Varuna in Mysuru after it became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation, has expressed his intention to contest again from Chamundeshwari that gave him 'political birth'.

Meanwhile, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is likely to make at least three visits to the state, intensifying the party's campaigning as it seeks to retain power there.

Gandhi has till now held six rounds of campaigning in the state with the last one being on April 7 and 8.

Polling will be held in Karnataka on May 12.