Siddaramaiah Keeps Rajya Sabha Option Open After Earlier Declining Rahul Gandhi’s Offer

BENGALURU, OCT 12 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept open the possibility of entering the Rajya Sabha, saying he would consult his friends before taking a final decision. His remarks came after he recalled declining an earlier offer from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to join the Upper House.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Lokanayaka J.P. Vichara Vedike at Gandhi Bhavan here on Sunday to mark the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, Siddaramaiah responded to appeals from members of the audience urging him to enter the Rajya Sabha.

“Let us see. I will discuss it with my friends and then decide,” he said, without making any commitment.

Recalling his earlier conversation with Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said he had turned down the offer as he was neither interested in becoming a Rajya Sabha member nor willing to move to Delhi. He added that he was subsequently appointed to the Congress Working Committee after declining the proposal.

His latest remarks have renewed speculation about a possible Rajya Sabha entry, although he did not indicate whether he was reconsidering his earlier position or whether a fresh offer had been made.

The programme also saw former MP V.S. Ugrappa being presented with this year's J.P. Award.

Speaking on electoral politics, Siddaramaiah expressed concern over the growing influence of money in elections. Recalling an earlier election, he said George Fernandes had given him Rs 10,000, while members of the public had contributed Rs 53,000.

He said the rising cost of contesting elections had made it increasingly difficult for honest candidates to win, underlining the growing role of money in electoral politics.