Congress releases first list of 177 candidates for Karna polls

PCC chief G Parameshwara and CLP leader Siddaramaiah figure in Congress' first list of 177 candidates released today for the 224-member Assembly elections in Karnataka on May 5.
Former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa's son Kumar Bangarappa S has been fielded from Sorab assembly seat.
The list also includes former PCC chief R V Deshpande, sitting MLA Krishna Byregowda, a former Karnataka Youth Congress President who is perceived close to Rahul Gandhi and film actor and former I & B Minister M H Ambareesh.
Among Congress rebels who were in the running, Shivaraj Tangadagi is the only one to have got the ticket so far. He had contested the last assembly election as an Independent and had served as a minister in the BJP government.

D K Shivkumar, former working president, considered close to party's Karnataka veteran S M Krishna, has been fielded from Kanakapura assembly seat.
Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge's son, K H Muniappa's daughter and former Chief Minister Dharam Singh's son are aspirants for tickets but no decision has been taken on their candidature so far.

Sources said a decision will be taken after Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is out of Delhi, comes back. Candidates have not been declared in a total of 47 seats.
The party hopes to gain the maximum, in what promises this time to be a quadrangular contest this time among Congress, BJP, Janata Dal (secular) and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party (KJP).

The recent urban body polls results proved that while Yeddyurappa's KJP may not get more seats than the BJP, it can definitely play spoilsport for the Karnataka's ruling party.
Congress has sought to make a dent in the BJP's Lingayat base by projecting Veeranna Mathikatti and made him the head of party's campaign committee.