Belagavi, Apr 6 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scared of losing his chair in case the Congress gets defeated from the Mysuru-Kodagu Parliamentary seat in his home district, former Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Belagavi, Jagadish Shettar, claimed on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after a coordination committee meeting of the BJP-JD(S), Shettar said Siddaramaiah is facing the threat of losing his chair if the Congress bites the dust in the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha seat.
He also claimed that it is certain that the Congress government will collapse in Karnataka after the elections.
Criticising Siddaramaiah for claiming that this is his last election, Shettar said he has been making similar statements about his retirement from politics for the last 10 years.
"This is just an election gimmick," Shettar said.
"The BJP-JD(S) alliance is not new, as there was a tie-up earlier as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has great respect for former PM H.D. Deve Gowda," Shettar said.
Shettar also said that the JD(S) is helping in the efforts to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for a third straight term.
The Congress has fielded M. Laxman, a close aide of Siddaramaiah, as the party candidate from Mysuru-Kodagu, while the BJP has nominated royal scion Yaduveer Wadiyar from the seat.
Siddaramaiah, who camped in his home district Mysuru for four days for election campaign, has appealed to the people that if they want to see him continue as the Chief Minister, they must support the Congress candidate.