Karnataka: BJP names BSY from Shimoga, Congress adds Nilekani

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Feb 07: The Congress and BJP in Karnataka have almost finalised their first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. The state Congress has asked the high command to field all 9 sitting MPs from the state while the BJP has already submitted a list of 21 candidates cleared by the state leadership.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar, top leaders of the state BJP including BS Yeddyurappa had descended over the national capital on Thursday to discuss Lok Sabha poll preparedness.

Union ministers M Veerappa Moily, M Mallikarjuna Kharge, KH Muniyappa and former CM N Dharam Singh are among the MPs likely to contest again. The KPCC has also recommended the name of Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani from Bangalore South.

 

BJP leaders including BS Yeddyurappa had descended over the national capital to discuss LS polls preparedness.

The Congress is yet to finalise the names for remaining 18 seats. Union minister KH Muniyappa will be seeking a 7th straight term from Kolar.

The BJP which has 18 MPs from Karnataka has cleared the names of 21 candidates. Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who has just returned to the party, will be contesting from Shimoga. His son BY Raghavendra, the current MP has agreed to vacate the seat for his father. BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar will be seeking a 6th consecutive term from Bangalore South. He will be taking on Nandan Nilekani of the Congress.

Yeddyurappa’s close confidante and former minister Shobha Karandlaje is likely to contest from Mysore-Kodagu. Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka will most likely contest from Bangalore North. The BJP has denied ticket to sitting MP DB Chandra Gowda from Bangalore North.

Former CM DV Sadananda Gowda who was eyeing Bangalore North is now being forced to contest from Udupi-Chikmagalur, which he won in 2009.

The third party in the fray, the JDS has also finalised its first list of candidates. Party patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda will be contesting from Hassan for the 6th time. His daughter in law Anitha Kumaraswamy, who lost the 2013 Lok Sabha by-poll from Bangalore Rural, is once again taking on sitting MP D K Suresh of the Congress.

The JDS is likely to field retired Commissioner of Bangalore City Corporation Siddaiah from Kolar.