By Express News Service

MYSURU: Indicating that he is keen on wooing Hindus before the 2018 assembly polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that he is also a Hindu like BJP workers.

“My name is Sidda Rama. I am also a Hindu and BJP workers are not the only Hindus,” he said.

He accused them of dividing society through the Vistarak programmes.

Speaking to the media here, he said BJP state chief Yeddyurappa has conducted Vistarak programmes to promote the party’s hidden agenda.

Alleging that the BJP is spreading communal hatred in Dakshina Kannada district as they have no other issues to raise, he said issues will be solved and normalcy will return if politicians and the media stop blowing up minor incidents.

On JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s remark that he has doubts about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s victory in 2018, he said it is voters who will decide the fate of candidates and not Kumaraswamy. He said people of Gundlupet have elected Congress candidate Geetha Mahadeva Prasad, despite repeated appeals from Yeddyurappa to reject the Congress in the bypolls.

Siddaramaiah said the Congress high command will decide from where he should contest as there is demand from people of both Chamundeshwari and Varuna constituencies to contest from their areas.

He said the 2018 assembly polls is likely to be his last election and will contest in the polls as directed by the high command. He maintained that the party high command will take a call on Yathindra contesting the election in 2018.