Siddaramaiah says he won't contest 2028 polls, cites age and 'corrupt politics'
FORMER Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday announced that he will not contest the 2028 Assembly elections, citing his age, health concerns and rising corruption in politics.
Speaking at a private event in Mandya district, Siddaramaiah said he would continue to remain active in public life but had decided against contesting any future elections.
"Politics today has become deeply tainted by corruption. Therefore, I have decided not to contest the 2028 Assembly elections. However, I will continue to remain active in politics and stand with the people, raising my voice for their welfare," he said.
The senior Congress leader said people from his Varuna constituency had been urging him to contest again, but he had made up his mind not to seek another term as an MLA.
His remarks come two months after he stepped down as Karnataka Chief Minister and handed over the reins to his deputy DK Shivakumar, with the state set to go to polls in less than two years.
'POLITICS HAS BECOME DEEPLY CORRUPTED'
Recalling his political journey, Siddaramaiah said he entered public life in 1978 as a taluk board member and would complete 50 years in politics by 2028.
"I have witnessed both victories and defeats in my political journey. But I take satisfaction in the fact that I have never compromised on my principles or acted against my conscience," he said.
The former Chief Minister also criticised the growing role of money in elections.
"Today, if one has to contest elections, candidates are expected to give money to voters. Politics has become deeply corrupted, and there is little space left for honest politics," he said, adding that there was a time when people of his constituency contributed money and supported his election campaigns.
Siddaramaiah, who is 79, said his age and health were also factors behind his decision. He said he would be around 82 by the time the next Assembly elections are held and that it was no longer possible to work with the same energy as before.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SIDDARAMAIAH
Over the years, Siddaramaiah emerged as Karnataka Congress's tallest leader, a mass figure whose influence cut across regions and communities. This was despite Siddaramaiah being a first-generation politician who rose from a farming family.
His influence among the backward classes, minorities and the AHINDA coalition, the Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits, remained one of his biggest political strengths. Built over decades, the coalition helped him consolidate a broad social base in Karnataka politics.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, the strong backing of the AHINDA bloc helped the Congress navigate Karnataka's traditional caste dynamics, dominated by the Vokkaliga-Lingayat divide. It was among the key factors behind the party's electoral success that year.
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Despite joining the Congress only in 2006 after political stints with various Janata Parivar factions, Siddaramaiah carved out a distinct identity in Karnataka politics.
With Siddaramaiah now stepping away from electoral politics, his decision marks the end of an era for a leader who remained one of the central figures in Karnataka politics for much of the last three decades.
