Ahead of the general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its second Lok Sabha candidates list announced 20 candidates from Karnataka. The party has dropped eight sitting MPs including some heavy weights.
Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, much against his will has been announced as candidate from his home turf Haveri. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar of the Mysuru royal family is being fielded from Mysuru. This comes as the party in a shocker move has dropped MP Pratap Simha.
Of the major names dropped is former BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel, who used to contest from Dakshina Kannada. Captain Brijesh Chowta, will now be fielded from the same constituency.
Further, BJP has shifted MP Shobha Karandlaje to Bengaluru North constituency, once held by former Chief Minister and Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, who recently retired from electoral polls. In Karandlaje’s previous constituency Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, she had faced resistance to her renomination by her own partymen where former minister Kota Srinivas Poojary is being fielded. The Davangere constituency has been given to Gayatri Siddeshwara instead of her husband G Siddeshwara.
Former Minister of Social Welfare of Karnataka B Sriramulu and MP Tejasvi Surya have both retained their Bellari and Bengaluru South seats, respectively. Interestingly, JD(S) honcho HD Deve Gowda’s son-in-law CN Manjunath has been given a ticket from Bengaluru Rural.
BJP strongman BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra, the current Karnataka BJP chief has been given a ticket from his family bastion of Shivamogga. He had won the Shivmogga seat in 2019 against JDS.
Former Minister of Housing department V Somanna will be contesting from Tumkur, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi will contest from Dharwad, Umesh G Yadav from Gulbarga, Annasaheb Shankar Jolle from Chikkodi, PC Gaddigoudar from Bagalkot, Ramesh Jigajinagi from Bijapur, Bhagwanth Khuba from Bidar, S Balaraj from Chamrajanagara, and PC Mohan from Bengaluru Central.
The party has not named candidates for Belgavi, Uttara Kannada, Chikballapura, Chitradurga and Raichur constituencies. Further, Mandya, Hassan,and Chikballapura is believed to be reserved for alliance partner JD(S).