The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. The announcement of the list came after the party’s Central Election Committee and Parliamentary Board meeting concluded on Sunday, followed by a discussion on Monday to deliberate over specific names.
Fresh Candidates Given Tickets
The list includes 189 candidates, 52 of whom are fresh faces. The remaining 137 candidates are incumbents who are seeking re-election. The party has given tickets to 32 OBC candidates, 30 SC candidates, and 16 ST candidates. Additionally, the list includes doctors, IPS and IAS officers, 31 PG candidates, and eight women. There are also five advocates, nine doctors, three academicians, two retired IAS and IPS officers, three retired government employees, and eight social workers. BJP’s national general secretary, Arun Singh, confirmed this information.
Notable Candidates
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will contest from the Shiggaon Assembly seat, while national general secretary of BJP CT Ravi will fight for the Chikmagluru seat. Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka has been pitted against Congress president DK Shivakumar on the Kanakpura seat. BJP has fielded Housing and Infrastructure Development V Somanna against Congress’s Siddaramaiah in Varuna. Somanna will also contest the Chamrajnagar seat.
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Hubli-Dharwad (Central) Constituency
The BJP has not announced a candidate for the Hubli-Dharwad (Central) constituency. Former Karnataka CM and sitting MLA Jagadish Shettar represents the constituency, but the BJP said that Shettar would not be given a ticket this year. However, Shettar is determined to fight the election and had asked the central leadership to reconsider its decision just hours before the list was announced. Later, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the BJP high command would convince him to drop his plan to contest the polls and remain a party leader.
Karnataka CM Predicts BJP Victory
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai expressed his confidence that BJP would secure an absolute majority in the upcoming elections. He also dismissed the possibility of the Congress party returning to power, stating that the double-engine government had done a good job in infrastructure and others. The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.
Source: ABP Live
