BJP realeses list of 3 candidates for Karnataka, Goa by-polls

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released the list of three candidates for by-polls to two legislative assembly constituencies in Karnataka and one in Goa.

The party announced the candidature of Sidharth Kuncalienker to contest from Panaji.

Avinash Yadav will contest from Chincholi assembly seat and SI Chikkanagowdar from Kundgol. The by-polls on all three seats are scheduled to held on May 19.

The nomination of Kuncalienker, an aide of late Parrikar, was approved after much deliberation by the BJP's Central Election Committee. The party has dropped Utpal Parrikar, son of former defence minister late Manohar Parrikar, who was also considered as the strong contender for the seat.

Kuncalienkar will face Atanasio Monserrate of the Congress, Valmiki Naik of the Aam Aadmi Party and Velingkar of the Goa Suraksha Manch.

The by-poll to Chincholi was necessitated as Umesh Jadhav quit as the Congress MLA and joined the BJP to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Gulbarga against veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, while Kundgol seat fell vacant following the death of MLA and Minister C S Shivalli.

The Panaji Assembly by-poll was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA and then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar last month.