Karnataka: Siddaramaiah set to break Urs’s record, to be the longest serving CM

Bengaluru: Siddaramaiah will emerge as the longest serving chief minister of Karnataka as he is set to break the record of Devaraj Urs on Tuesday. The 78-year-old Mysuru-born leader is serving as CM for a second time after serving his first five-year term beginning 2013.

Siddaramaiah credited his success to the blessings of people, while speaking to the media in Mysuru. He has won assembly elections eight times and is on his way to present Karnataka’s budget for a record 17^th time.

Urs, celebrated as a champion of backward classes and the architect of land reforms, also came from Mysuru district as Siddaramaiah. "Urs, though came from a numerically smaller Urs community, was a popular leader, the CM said.


On his breaking Urs’s record as the longest serving CM, Siddaramaiah said records are created for breaking. “Tomorrow, another leader may emerge who will break my record and by presenting more budgets than I did," Siddaramaiah said. He added he had not planned any celebrations to commemorate the occasion, though reports indicated revenue minister Krishna Byregowda has planned.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, in a chat with the media in Bengaluru, congratulated the CM on his record, but parried a question on whether the occasion would pave way for his ascent to the CM’s post.

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy slammed the chief minister for what he called “giving a corruption-ridden administration to people,” and said Siddaramaiah would also be the last CM from the Congress as voters will teach the party a lesson in the next assembly polls.

Siddaramaiah’s record as CM for the largest number of days might rekindle hopes among sections of senior Congress aspirants including Shivakumar to succeed him in the event AICC leadership gives a green signal for change in leadership.