340 candidates file nominations in Karnataka

As the filing of nominationsfor the first phase of polling for 14 Lok Sabha constituencies ended in Karnataka Tuesday, a total of 340 candidates filed their nominations, poll officials said.

Among the constituencies that would go to polls in thefirst phase on April 18, the highest number of 37 candidates were from Bengaluru north and the lowest from Hassan with 10, the officials said.

Prominent among those contesting in the first phase include former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda (Tumkur), his grandson Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy fromHassan and Mandya respectively.

Also in the fray for the first phase were Union Minister Sadananda Gowda (Bengaluru north), senior Congress leaders Veerappa Moily (Chikkaballapura), B K Hariprasad (Bengaluru south) and Karnataka Rural Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda (Bengaljuru north).

 

BJP candidates who filed their papers on the last day include Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi-Chikmagalur), G S Basavaraj (Tumkur), A Narayana Swamy (Chitradurga), Srinivas Prasad (Chamarajnagar), Ashwath Narayana (Bengaluru rural)and TejasviSurya (Bengaluru south).

Those who filed nominations from Congress include B K Hariprasad (Bengaluru south), Krishna Byre Gowda (Bengaluru north) and D K Suresh (Bengaluru Rural), among others.

In a surprise move, the BJP Tuesday fielded party's youth wing leader Surya from its bastion of Bangaloresouth from where the widow of union minister Ananth Kumar, a six-time MP from this prestigious Lok Sabha constituency, was denied ticket.

It was widely expected that the BJP would field Tejaswini given her active participation in scripting her husband's victories from the seat six times, but Surya emergedas the dark horse, taking state leadership by surprise.

While Ananth Kumar's supporters protested against theparty decision, Surya filed his nomination amid absence ofseveral senior BJP MLAs from the constituency including R Ashoka and Somanna.

Surya is pitted against Congress' B K Hariprasad, whoalso filed his nomination on Tuesday.

Minister Krishna Byre Gowda who was declared as Congress's candidate from Bengalore north Monday night also filed his nomination in the presence of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

JD(S) had given back the Bangaluru north seat to the Congress, not being able find a suitable candidate against BJP's D V Sadananda Gowda.

Karnataka would go for polls in two phases, 14 constituencies each, on April 18 and 23.

While scrutiny of nominations for the first phase would take place on March 27, the last date for withdrawal is March29.

For the second phase polls on April 23, notification would be issued on March 28.

The last date for nomination isApril 4.

Scrutiny would take place on April 5 and the last day for withdrawal is April 8.

Counting of votes and announcement of results for bothphases were scheduled for May 23.