Elections are difficult now than ever before says Siddaramaiah

In view of the media’s wide reach even to the last person, including the social media, fighting an election now is more difficult than before said CM Siddaramaiah.  Speaking informally to media persons on Sunday Siddaramaiah said earlier just meeting and talking to the chiefs in the villages would suffice to get the votes but now every house must be visited and not only to the father but separate appeal should be made to his son.  Appealing only to father will not a vote from the son. Not only the son but his wife must also be pleaded separately, such is the situation he said.

He said he does not believe that people vote based on caste. In Chamundeshwari not all Vokkaligas will vote for G T Devegowda and all Kurubas vote for him.  There are Vokkaligas in good contacts with him as well as Kurubas in good contact with G T Devegowda. Hence the elections are not caste based. The rapport the candidate has with the voters and the developmental works are equally important Siddaramaih said.

“There is pressure on me to contest from other constituencies also, along with Chamundeshwari. I have not yet decided regarding that. Everybody says I will have difficulty in Chamundeshwari. But I have fought 7 elections from there. I know the pulse of the people there. I will definitely win from there this time”, he expressed confidence.

Experts say it is possible to tamper ballot machines but the Election Commission has assured fair elections and I trust the EC. When doubts were expressed about the correct working of ballot machines I invited experts and held discussions. They demonstrated how it was possible to tamper the ballot machines. However, the Election Commission has assured that it would conduct fair elections and I trust them, he said.