Siddaramaiah set for record Karnataka CM tenure, uses Tendulkar-Kohli analogy
Highlighting a key difference between himself and Urs, he said that while Urs belonged to the ruling class, he hailed from the socially backward community (Kuruba or shepherd)
Siddaramaiah is set to surpass D Devaraj Urs as the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday (January 7).
On Monday, Siddaramaiah credited the historic milestone to the blessings of people and used a cricket analogy, mentioning Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli’s record-breaking feats.
Urs' record
Urs served as Karnataka Chief Minister for about 7.6 years across two terms between March 1972 and January 1980. Siddaramaiah’s first term as Chief Minister was between May 2013 and May 2018. In his second term, Siddaramaiah has been in office since May 20, 2023.
Highlighting a key difference between himself and Urs, he said that while Urs belonged to the ruling class, he hailed from the socially backward community (Kuruba or shepherd).
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Addressing reporters in Mysuru, he said, “With the blessings of the people, tomorrow late D Devaraj Urs' record of being the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka will be equalled. The matter of pride is that I and Urs belong to Mysuru.”
Asked whether he had ever imagined that he would ever break the record, he admitted that he had never imagined even becoming a Minister, let alone the Chief Minister.
“I had only thought that I will be an MLA after becoming the Taluk Board member. I have so far won eight elections. I lost two Parliament elections and two assembly elections. In my life, I have contested in 13 elections, including Taluk elections,” Siddaramaiah said.
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On his comparison with Urs, he said, “Devaraj Urs was not socially backward. In fact, he was from a forward class, the ruling class. He was from a community which is less in population, but he was a popular leader.”
The Chief Minister said there is no comparison between him and Urs.
Different eras
Noting that the era of Urs was different from the present, Siddaramaiah said Urs contested elections by collecting money directly from the people.
“People gave him money and votes in 1962. Time has now changed,” he said.
To a query about whether there is any chance of breaking his record, Siddaramaiah said records are meant for breaking.
Siddaramaiah compared his feat to Kohli breaking Tendulkar's record in cricket.
“Records are there to be broken. Anyone can break them in the future. In cricket, Sachin Tendulkar's record was broken by Virat Kohli. Similarly, someone may come in the future who will become Chief Minister longer than me and present more Budgets," Siddaramaiah has so far presented 16 Budgets.
Celebrations among supporters: a country chicken feast
Siddaramaiah's new record has infused fresh energy among his supporters. While there are mixed reactions within Congress’s inner circles, his core followers are clearly in a celebratory mood.
To mark this special occasion, Siddaramaiah’s supporters have organised a large-scale naati koli (country chicken) feast scheduled for Tuesday. Supporters from different parts of the state are arriving in Bengaluru, creating a festive atmosphere. On social media, too, campaigns highlighting him as “the AHINDA leader setting a new record” have already gathered momentum.