Bengaluru, July 27 -- Congress MLA Shivalinge Gowda on Monday said party leaders will try to persuade former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to remain in the electoral arena for another five years, despite his announcement that he will not contest the 2028 Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters here about Siddaramaiah's statement, Gowda said, "Siddaramaiah has said, 'I will not contest the next election.' He has not said that he will retire from active politics. He has said that by the time this term ends, he will be 82 years old, and therefore he will not contest the elections. However, he has also made it clear that he will continue to play an active role in politics and work for the party. Even so, all of us will try to persu...