Congress fields actress Ramya for Karnataka LS bypoll

Popular Kannada film actor Ramya Saturday filed nomination papers as the Congress candidate for the Aug 21 bypoll to Mandya Lok Sabha seat from Karnataka.

She is pitted against former legislator C. S. Puttaraju of Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), who filed his papers Friday. Mandya is about 80km from Bangalore.

For the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seat, for which also bypoll is being held Aug 21, the Congress has fielded D. K. Suresh, brother of party legislator and former minister D. K. Shivakumar.

Suresh will face Anita Kumaraswamy of JD-S. Anita is the wife of JDS state president and former chief minister H. D. Kumaraswamy.

Suresh and Anita filed their papers Saturday.

Kumaraswamy is the son of JD-S president and former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda.

Both the seats were held by the JD-S - Bangalore Rural by Kumaraswamy and Mandya by N. Cheluvarayaswamy.

The two quit the Lok Sabha following their election to the state assembly in the May 5 poll.

The two constituencies are considered to stronghold of JD-S and hence winning them is matter of prestige for both the ruling Congress and the JDS.

This is the first bypoll the Congress is facing after returning to power in Karnataka after defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the May 5 assembly elections.

The BJP, which has little presence in these parts of the state, has fielded local leaders.

Counting is on Aug 24.