With the Assembly election just a fortnight away, the battle lines have been drawn for the May 10 polls, with the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers ending yesterday.

In Mysuru district, which has 11 Assembly segments, 143 candidates have remained in the fray after 29 candidates withdrew their nomination on Monday, the last date for withdrawal. The number of candidates who withdrew their nominations include 10 in Varuna, 5 in K.R. Nagar, 3 in T. Narasipur, 4 in NR, 2 each in Chamaraja and Hunsur and one each in Periyapatna, Chamundeshwari and KR Constituencies. However, no candidate withdrew nomination in H.D. Kote (ST) and Nanjangud (SC) Assembly segments. Barring one candidate of Indian New Congress party, all others who withdrew nomination papers  in the district, were independent candidates.

Among the prominent candidates who withdrew their nominations in the city include former Corporator Suhail Baig who had filed his nomination from Chamaraja, former Corporator Azeezulla (Ajju), who was a Congress ticket aspirant from NR Constituency, V. Giridhar, a BJP ticket aspirant from NR and Ayub Khan of Indian New Congress party from NR.

2,613 candidates in State

Meanwhile, the number of candidates in the fray for all the 224 Assembly segments of the State now stands at 2,613.

The filing of nomination papers which took place from Apr. 13 to 20, saw as many as 3,632 candidates filing a total of 5,102 nomination papers in the State. After rejection of nomination papers held during the scrutiny on Apr. 21 and withdrawal of 517 candidates within the deadline, a total of 2,613 candidates have remained in fray for the 224 Assembly seats. Men have  dominated the poll scene with 2,427 candidates, while there  are 184 women candidates and 2 from others category.

While the ruling BJP is contesting all the 224 seats, the Congress is contesting 223 seats and is supporting the Karnataka Sarvodaya Party candidate in Melukote Assembly segment of Mandya district and the JD(S) in 207 seats. The Aam Admi Party (AAP) is contesting 209 seats, the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) – 133 seats, JD(U) – 8, CPI(M) – 4 and NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) – 2.

While the Congress is facing rebellion in 18 seats, the ruling BJP is facing rebel candidates in 14 seats and the JD(S) in 2 seats.

Here is the complete list of candidates who are contesting from the 11 Assembly Constituencies of Mysuru district:

1. Chamundeshwari – 14 candidates

G.T. Devegowda (JD-S), Mavinahalli Siddegowda (Congress), V. Kaveesh Gowda (BJP), J. Jayashankar (BSP), Kiran Nagesh Kalyani (AAP), S. Harish (UPP), M.S. Praveen (KRS), B. Shivanna of Karnataka Praja Party (Raithaparva) and Independent candidates – Siddegowda, Suresh, G.M. Mahadeva, M. Rangaswamy, M. Nagaraju and M.M. Mahesh Gowda.

2. KRISHNARAJA – 17 candidates

T.S. Srivatsa (BJP), M.K. Somashekar (Cong.), K.V. Mallesh (JD-S), Y. Jayashri (AAP), C. Sreenivasprasad (BSP), M. Lingaraju of Indian Movement Party, S. Sumalatha (UPP), K.S. Somasundar (KRS), P.S. Sandhya (SUCI) and Independents – Amitabh, H.P. Udayshankar, Tejaswikumar, H.N. Parthasarathy, S. Prakash Priyadarshan, B. Rohitkumar, Satish & Sundahalli Somashekar.

3. Narasimharaja – 17 candidates

Tanveer Sait (Cong.), S. Satish AKA Sandesh Swamy (BJP), Abdul Khader (JD-S), Dharmashree (AAP), K.H. Abdul Majid (SDPI), Rehana Banu (NCP), J.S. Leelavathi (UPP), Vinod M. Chacko (Republican Party of India – Karnataka), Sundar Premkumar (KRS) and Independent candidates – Khaleel-ur-Rahman Sharif, M.N. Neelakanta, R.C. Raj, Robert Immanuel, M. Lingaraj, G. Lokesh Kumar, G.B. Shivanna and Syed Alishan.

4. Chamaraja – 14 candidates

L. Nagendra (BJP), K. Harish Gowda (Congress), H.K. Ramesh (JD-S), Malavika Gubbivani (AAP), Chandrashekar (BSP), D.P.K. Paramesh (KRS), M. Panchalingu (Country Citizen Party), Prabha Nandeesh (UPP), G.S. Seema (SUCI) and Independent candidates – M. Manojkumar, R. Yoganarasimhamurthy, Saleem Ahmed, H.D. Siddaraju (Cauvery Mess) and T.S. Suresh.

5. Varuna – 15 candidates

Siddharamaiah (Cong.), V. Somanna (BJP), Dr. N.L. Bharathishankar (JD-S), M. Krishnamurthy (BSP), Rajesh (AAP), N. Ambarish of KJP, R. Mahadevaswamy (UPP), K. Nagesh Naika (Samajawadi Janata Party-Karnataka), M. Ravikumar of KRS, E. Shiva of Karnataka Praja Party and Independents – R. Chetan, S. Pyarijaan, M. Mahesh and Dr. U.P. Shivananda.

6. T. Narasipur – 12 candidates

Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa (Congress), Dr. M. Revanna (BJP), M. Ashwin Kumar (JD-S), B.R. Puttaswamy (BSP), M. Siddaraju (AAP), N. Chandrappa (Rani Chennamma Party), M.D. Manjunath (KRS), R. Renuka (Country Citizen Party), A.N. Shivalingappa (Samajwadi Janata Party), Srinivas (Indian Movement Party) and Independents – K. Kenchaiah and S. Chandrashekar.

7. Hunsur – 12 candidates

H.P. Manjunath (Congress), G.D. Harish Gowda (JD-S), Devarahalli Somashekar (BJP), Prasannakumar (BSP), G. Ravikumar (AAP), Thimmabovi (KRS), D.N. Sunil (UPP) and Independent candidates – Umesh, Channegowda, H.B. Rajendra, B.L. Lokesh and Syed Hanif.

8. K.R. Nagar – 8 candidates

S.R. Mahesh (JD-S), D. Ravishankar (Congress), Hosahalli Venkatesh (BJP), Bharat Kumar (Bahujan Samaj Party), Murugesh (Aam Aadmi Party), Paramesh (Karnataka Rashtra Samithi), K. Mohan (UPP) and Shivugowda (Independent).

9. H.D. Kote – 12 candidates

Anil Chikkamadu (Cong.), K.M. Krishna Nayaka (BJP), Jayaprakash Chikkanna (JD-S), Hotel Shivanna (BSP), H.M. Nagesh (UPP), K.V. Raju (SJP – Karnataka), H.M. Shivappa (KRS), Independents – Girijamba, G.N. Devadatta, A.M. Babunayaka, M.S. Shivakumar & Sannanayaka.

10. Nanjangud – 12 candidates

B. Harshavardhan (BJP), Darshan Dhruvanarayan (Congress), Srikanta (BSP), H. Hanumaiah (AAP), Madeshan of Kalyana Rajya Pragati Party (KRPP), Vijaykumar (KRS) and Independent candidates – Anand Jeevanram, V. Govindaraju, G.D. Rajagopal, B. Vidyasagar, H.K. Swami Haradanahalli and Subbaiah.

11. Periyapatna – 10 candidates

K. Mahadev (JD-S), K. Venkatesh (Congress), C.H. Vijayshankar (BJP), C.S. Pradeep (BSP), Rajashekar Doddanna (AAP), Gurumurthy Joganahalli (KRS), P.S. Naveen (UPP) and Independent candidates – Kiran Haradur, R. Tunga Srinivas and B.S. Subramanya.

Krishnaraja (KR) and Narasimharaja (NR) have the highest number of contestants at 17 each, followed by Varuna with 15, Chamaraja and Chamundeshwari with 14 each, Hunsur, H.D. Kote, Nanjangud and T. Narasipur with 12 each, Periyapatna with 10 and  K.R. Nagar with 8, which has the least number of candidates.