Siddaramaiah opposed Congress as a young socialist

MYSORE: CM Siddaramaiah opposed Congress like anything before he switched sides. That was his honest admission.
That socialists led by legendary farmers leader M D Nanjundaswamy initiated him into politics made him oppose Congress, Siddaramaiah admitted on Saturday tracing his roots in politics after launching Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Study Centre at the Karnataka State Open University.
After he checked into the varsity to open the administrative block, the CM went down the memory lane when he launched the centre after offering floral tributes to the tall socialist leader. Lohia was a great thinker. I got exposed to him when I was studying law in the city. I've never met him but got attracted to his thoughts with Nanjundaswamy speaking about him for hours on end. We used to have classes between 7 am and 10 am after which Nanjundaswamy would take us to a canteen and speak about socialism. I was later appointed to the Samajwadi Yuva Sabha and became part of socialist movement. It is matter of pride that Lohiates like S Bangarappa and J H Patel became chief ministers, he said admitting that he didn't liked Congress when he was initiated into politics. "Nanjundaswamy had such profound influence on me that I didn't like Congress," he said. Nanjundaswamy was his lecturer.
Siddaramaiah, who staunchly opposed Congress, left JD(S) following difference with the party leaders and joined Congress in mid 2006. He fought and won by a wafer thin margin the by-polls to Chamundeshwari assembly polls after he switched sides leading to his political rebirth.
Referring to his association with friends associated with the socialist movement, he said he had difficult time convincing his father Siddaramegowda to let him contest the polls. It so happened that my father was defeated in the polls to gram panchayat and would not let me try. "Do whatever you want but politics," he had told me. I begged him to allow me to contest the polls to the Mysore Taluk Board. When somebody in the audience asked him whether he won, he said: "Howdu kanaiah (yes, I did win)," and explained that he spent Rs 3,000. He said he rode pillion on his friend Mahesh's scooter to canvass and asked whether Mahesh is in the audience. When he located Y Mahesh, a former MLC, he pointed at him and said he helped him to distribute handbills. "Now, it is difficult to win polls," he said indicating the money power that is in play.
He said caste system is deep rooted and people who talk about annihilation of caste are not always what they intend given they practice it. According to him, economical growth will lead to social development pushing people to overlook caste when they get married. Inter-caste marriages could annihilate caste, he stated.