Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 18: Notifications relating to setting the election process in motion were issued in all the eight assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday April 17. On the first day of filing of nominations for the state assembly election, only one nomination was filed in the twin-districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi on Tuesday April 17.

Balakrishna Poojary, who desires to enter the election fray from Bantwal assembly constituency on behalf of JD(U), filed his nomination papers on Tuesday.

At the same time, no candidates submitted nomination papers in Udupi district. District electoral officer, Priyanka Mary Francis, confirmed that no nomination papers were received for the give assembly constituencies located in the district, which happen to be Udupi, Kundapur, Byndoor, Kaup, and Karkala, on Tuesday.

Congress candidates from Bantwal and Moodbidri, B Ramanath Rai and K Abhayachandra Jain, are expected to file nomination papers on Thursday April 19. Dr Raghu, Congress candidate from Sullia, and Muneer Katipalla, CPM candidate from Mangaluru (north) constituency, will also be handing over their nomination papers on Thursday.

BJP candidate from Sullia, S Angara, Beltangady Congress candidate, K Vasant Bangera, BJP candidate from Bantwal, Rajesh Naik, SDPI candidate, Riyaz Farangipet and CPM candidate from Mangaluru, Nitin Kumar Kuthar, have also decided to file their respective nomination papers on April 20.

The candidates who will be filing their nomination papers on April 23 happen to be Shakuntala Shetty, Congress candidate from Puttur, BJP candidate, Sanjeeva Matandoor, Congress candidate from Mangaluru (south), J R Lobo, CPM candidate, Sunil Kumar Bajal, Congress candidate from Mangaluru, U T Khader, Congress candidate from Mangaluru (north), Mohiuddin Bava, SDPI candidate, Jaleel Krishnapura and Yadav Shetty, CPM candidate from Moodbidri.

In all likelihood, BJP candidate from Beltangady, Harish Poonja will file his papers on April 22. Umanath Kotian, BJP candidate from Moodbidri may submit his nomination on either April 19 or 23. As BJP and JD(S) are yet to announce their candidates from Mangaluru (south), Mangaluru (north) and Mangaluru assembly constituencies, dates of filing of nomination papers of these candidates will be decided after their names are finalized,it is gathered.