Madikeri: A week after it released the list of party candidates for 218 Assembly seats, the Congress on Sunday changed the candidature of its Madikeri nominee.

The party replaced senior advocate H.S. Chandramouli with K.P. Chandrakala following objections against him for being part of the legal team of PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi.

Chandrakala, a senior Congress leader, is from Vokkaliga community and as Vokkaligas and Arebashe Gowdas play a key role in the elections, the Congress, recognising the caste equation in Madikeri, has chosen to field her, according to sources.

Somwarpet Block Congress President K.M. Lokesh Kumar, former State Information Commissioner Virupakshaiah and INTUC leader Napanda Muthappa were the other senior contenders for the ticket.

Chandrakala is the only woman candidate fielded by any party in Kodagu district which has only two Assembly segments — Madikeri and Virajpet.

With the announcement of K.P. Chandrakala, a ZP member from Suntikoppa as the Congress candidate, Madikeri Constituency is witnessing a keen triangular contest with former Minister and sitting MLA Appachu Ranjan entering the fray as BJP candidate and another former Minister B.A. Jivijaya as the JD(S) candidate.

However, Chandrakala’s candidature is hit by dissent in Congress as INTUC State Vice-President Napanda Muthappa has openly said that he would contest as an independent.