One nomination rejected, 49 found valid for May 19 KTK bypolls

Of the total 50 candidates who had filed nominations for the May 19 byelections to two assembly constituencies in Karnataka, one has been rejected, election officials said Tuesday.

Among 49 validly nominated candidates, 27 are from Chincholi and 22 from Kundgol assembly segments.

One nomination that has been rejected is from Kundgol.

Both the constituencies have two women each as candidates.

While May 2 is the last date for withdrawal, the bypoll results will be declared on May 23 along with Lok Sabha results.

The bypoll to Chincholi has been necessitated by the resignation of sitting member Umesh Jadhav who quit the Congress and joined the BJP to contest the recent Lok Sabha polls from Gulbarga, while Kundgol seat fell vacant following the death of minister C S Shivalli.

The main contest in this bypoll will be between the nominees of Congress, which held the seats, and the BJP.

BJP has fielded S I Chikkanagowdar and Avinash Jadhav from Kundgol and Chincholi assembly seats respectively.

The Congress candidates are: Subash Rathod in Chincholi and Kusumavathi, wife of Shivalli, in Kundgol.

Congress, supported by its alliance partner JD(S) in the by-poll, is determined to retain both seats.

The outcome of bypolls along with that of the elections to 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state held in two phases on April 18 and 23 is crucial for the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance, facing a fresh bout of dissidence.