The ruling BJP on Tuesday announced its first list of candidates for 189 constituencies of the total 224 in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly that are going to polls on May 10. The highlight of the list is that it has 52 new faces on the lines of the Gujarat experiment, though the number of replaced incumbent MLAs does not match the Gujarat figures.
The BJP has announced the first list of Karnataka election candidates
The BJP has announced the first list of 189 candidates for the Karnataka assembly election. Several MLAs have been dropped and Congress turncoats chosen in the first list. A second list will come soon, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
BJP MLA and Revenue Minister R Ashok will contest from his home seat Padmanabhanagar, and Kanakapura too, where he will face the state Congress chief DK Shivakumar.
MLA and Housing Minister V Somanna will face-off against Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Varuna. Somanna will also contest from a second seat, Chamarajnagar. He has always contested from Govindaraja Nagar constituency in Bengaluru. This would be the first time he is contesting in two seats - both strongholds of the Congress.
The BJP's election committee met in Delhi over the weekend to finalise the names. Karnataka has 224 assembly seats.
Bommai will contest from Shiggaon constituency, his current seat.
BY Vijayendra, the son of former Chief Minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura seat, the same constituency where his father had won seven times since 1983.
State minister B Sriramulu will contest from Bellary Rural.
In Udupi, a key costal town, Yashpal Suvarna will contest for the first time in place of the current MLA Raghupathi Bhat. Suvarna had aggressively campaigned for hijab ban. He is seen as a rising star among his local supporters. His claim to fame also includes activism in cow protection.
Other key BJP leaders Ramesh Jarkiholi and Govind M Karjol will contest from Gokak and Mudhol, respectively.
BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi will contest from Chikkamagaluru.
(With inputs from agencies)