BJP faces in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Hassan and Kodagu

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last night announced its first list of 189 candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections that is scheduled to be held on May 10.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with BJP General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, announced that the party is fielding 52 new faces and eight women candidates in its first list. Though 52 new faces on the lines of the Gujarat experiment is a highlight, the number of replaced incumbent MLAs does not match the Gujarat figures.

While BJP has fielded Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon seat, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra will contest from his father’s Shikaripura Constituency.

BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi will contest from Chikkamagalur and Minister R. Ashoka will contest against State Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar in Kanakapura and also from Padmanabhanagar, Bengaluru. Housing Minister V. Somanna will contest against former CM Siddharamaiah in Varuna Constituency and also from Chamarajanagar.

The BJP is looking at a tough contest in the upcoming polls. Karnataka, the only State in South India where the BJP has a Government, has never voted an incumbent back to power in 40 years. Karnataka has a total of 224 Assembly seats and a party needs 113 in order to form the Government.

Congress turncoats chosen

Several MLAs have been dropped and Congress turncoats chosen in the first list. A second list will come soon, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. Somanna has always contested from Govindarajanagar Constituency in Bengaluru. For the first time, he is contesting in two seats — both Congress strongholds.

Minister B. Sriramulu will contest from Bellary Rural. In Udupi, a key coastal town, Yashpal Suvarna will contest for the first time in place of the current MLA Raghupathi Bhat. Suvarna had aggressively campaigned for ‘hijab’ ban. He is seen as a rising star among his local supporters. His claim to fame also includes activism in cow protection.

Other key BJP leaders Ramesh Jarkiholi and Govind M. Karjol will contest from Gokak and Mudhol, respectively. Congress rebel Anand Singh, who joined the BJP in 2019, had contested from Hospet. His son, Siddharth Singh, will contest from this seat. Anand Singh was a key engineer of the strategy that toppled the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in 2019, paving the way for the BJP to come to power.

9 doctors, 5 lawyers, 2 retired babus

BJP General Secretary Arun Singh said there are 52 new candidates this time, 32 candidates are from OBCs, 30 SC and 16 ST. 8 candidates are women.  There are 9 doctors and 5 advocates, 1 retired IAS and 1 IPS officer, 3 retired government employees, 31 post-graduates, 3 academicians and 8 social activists.

In Athani, the BJP has chosen a candidate, Mahesh Kumathahalli, against the request of party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi. Savadi tried to convince the BJP that his chances of winning were higher and the BJP would lose the seat if the ticket was given to Kumathahalli.

BJP MLA and former CM Jagadish Shettar, who was upset after being asked to make way for others, has threatened he will contest one way or the other and not ruled out fighting as an independent. The BJP is yet to announce the candidate on his seat, Hubballi-Dharwad Central.

Another senior leader, K.S. Eshwarappa, who used to contest from Shivamogga, has however announced his retirement from electoral politics and agreed to the party’s request to give room for others. The BJP hasn’t announced a name yet for Shivamogga. Basanagouda Patil, Yatnal considered a critic of Yediyurappa, will seek re-election from the Vijayapura seat.

Krishnaraja suspense continues

The BJP MLAs who have been dropped from the list include Raghupathy Bhat from Udupi, Anil Benake from Belagavi North, S. Angara from Sullia, rebel MLA Anand Singh from Hospet and Halady Srinivas Shetty from Kundapura.

The party is yet to announce the candidate for Krishnaraja seat from where S.A. Ramdas was elected to the Assembly in the previous polls. BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekar has been dropped from Hosadurga. In October last year when a debate was raging over the anti-conversion bill in Karnataka, Shekar had alleged his mother had been forcefully converted to Christianity.

 Veterans making way

 Referring to senior party leader Eshwarappa’s decision to not contest the elections, Bommai said it reflects the BJP’s culture of veterans making way for the younger lot and took a swipe at the Congress for giving its ticket to the 91-year-old Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

“Our leadership and values are different. To create a new system, we are taking tough decisions,” he said.

What they said about their winning prospects?

I am indebted to my voters, associates and moreover the Sangh and the party for reposing faith in me. They have considered my work in Chamaraja and many welfare and infrastructure works that have been executed. Even the people of my Constituency have recognised the development work and the general mood is upbeat. This time too, BJP will bloom in Chamaraja and my aim is to develop the Constituency as a model one. —L. Nagendra, BJP candidate, Chamaraja

The BJP has given me the ticket from Narasimharaja for the second time and I would thank the party State and National leaders for that. In 2018, I got 44,141 votes and secured second place. I have faith in the voters and they will give me a chance to serve them this time around. I have the support of Narasimharaja people, party workers and leaders and I will strive for the overall development of the Constituency. —Sandesh Swamy, BJP candidate, Narasimharaja

Party President Nalin Kumar Kateel, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior leader B.S. Yediyurappa has reposed faith in my candidature from Nanjangud. In the last term, I had brought Rs. 823 crore for the overall development of Nanjangud and the party high command has recognised the development works initiated. I have confidence that the voters will re-elect me and my aim is to get a grant of Rs. 1,000 crore. —B. Harshavardhan, BJP candidate, Nanjangud

I  hereby thank the party for considering me to contest from Chamundeshwari and I will not let them down. I am committed to the growth of my Constituency. My candidature has proved that only BJP can give a chance to the youth and as it is a cadre-based party, there is good scope for talent. The party ticket was not discussed when I joined BJP but I was given the task of mobilising support and creating a strong support base. And I have performed accordingly. The people of Chamundeshwari have faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. I will work along with the leaders and workers. —Kavish Gowda, BJP candidate, Chamundeshwari