Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah said there is a need for supporters of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to respect his decision to retire from electoral politics.

Fielding queries from reporters in Mysuru on Monday, Mr. Yathindra, who is Mr. Siddaramaiah’s son, said his father had been maintaining that he would not be contesting the Assembly elections of 2028. “He had said it earlier also and repeated it when he was the Chief Minister too,” he said while pointing to the need for his supporters to respect Mr. Siddaramaiah’s decision to stay out of electoral politics.

Referring to the possible pressure from his supporters to contest elections again, Mr. Yathindra said Mr. Siddaramaiah has made it clear that he will remain in active politics even if he quits electoral politics. “He will continue to raise voice for the vulnerable people in the society,” he said.

When pressed further, Mr. Yathindra said his father’s health and well-being were more important than persuading him to contest another election.

While making it clear that he, as a son, would not try to convince his father to reconsider his decision, Mr. Yathindra said his father was almost 80 years old now. “I think he should give attention to his health and not neglect it due to his work. So, I will not ask him to change his decision,” he said.

He said Siddaramaiah was a man who stood by his decisions and did not change them. “When he makes a firm decision, nobody can change it,” he said.

Kambala in Mysuru Dasara

Commenting on the proposal to organise Kambala as part of this year’s Mysuru Dasara festivities, he clarified that no final decision had been taken. “We have only been asked to make the necessary preparations. It has not yet been decided that Kambala will definitely be held,” he said.

KSPC scams

On the alleged scams by Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), Mr. Yathindra said the KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar had been appointed during the previous BJP government’s tenure and that the State government did not have the authority to remove him. However, the Chairman had since been suspended by the Governor.

Mr. Yathindra, meanwhile, alleged that the suspended Chairman is represented by lawyers of “RSS and BJP” in the court and accused the BJP, which is criticising the scams in KPSC, of adopting double standards by taking such contradictory positions.

Reacting to demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mr. Yathindra alleged that the Centre had so far displayed an attitude of refusing to admit mistakes, but had now yielded to sustained student protests. He said the Union government should abandon what he described as its belief that people would accept whatever decisions it took.

Referring to complaints that banks were issuing recovery notices to farmers, he said farmers were already reeling under the impact of deficient rainfall and should not be subjected to further distress. While noting that the State had already enacted legislation to curb harassment by microfinance institutions, he said he would bring to the government’s notice the issue of nationalised banks serving notices to farmers.

Published - July 27, 2026 07:39 pm IST