Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Congress is not sure about the number of women candidates that the party will field for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, said former CM Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to scribes, Siddaramaiah said, "I cannot assure about the percentage, but we will give opportunity to women as far as possible after taking opinion from the party workers of the respective constituency,"

Responding to a query in which a reporter pointed out that Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state of Orissa has declared that it will field 33% women in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and in Bengal Trinamool Congress (TMC) is also fielding 17 women candidates out of the possible 42 seats, Siddaramaiah said, "BJD and TMC are parties which have only regional presence. It is not possible to follow them, especially in Karnataka,"

"33% reservation for women in parliament and state assemblies will be possible only when the same becomes a law. A bill regarding this is pending in parliament for the last 24 years," said Siddaramaiah expressing his helplessness.

Incidentally, Rahul Gandhi, AICC president, said in Chennai on Wednesday, March 13 that his party will pass the women reservation bill if voted to power in the center.

To a query that many Congress leaders consider him as an eligible person to be in the parliament, Siddaramaiah said, "I am okay with my current position and state politics. I might be a Lok Sabha material but I am not interested in contesting."

When asked about what would be his response if the Congress high command wants him to contest, Siddaramaiah said, "There is no chance for such a situation to crop up in the first place. Even if it arises, I am sure that I will not contest,"

Reacting to a query that many leaders in the state Congress would like to see him to be the CM again, Siddaramaiah replied, "The people might have said that because of regards and respect towards me."

When asked about his aspirations to sit on the CM's chair once again, Siddaramaiah said, "Let us wait till the next assembly polls."

"The grinding issues of unemployment and the hardships faced by the farmers will be the main two points which the Congress will focus on both the national as well as the state level during the campaigning for Lok Sabha polls," added Siddaramaiah.

Siddaramaiah, who is also a member of Congress Working Committee (CWC), also said, "The unemployment rate in the country is alarmingly high according to a survey and has reached to the peak in the last 40 years. Prime minister Modi has promised two crore jobs every year but has failed miserably in achieving the same. In the CWC meeting that was held in Ahmadabad on Tuesday, March 12, the Congress party has decided to campaign aggressively against the central government led by Modi and at the same time convey to the people of the country, the achievements of the Congress party in various states."

Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that the Congress party will win at least 150 seats on its own and its alliance partners will also do well in the coming elections.