Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, featuring prominent names across various constituencies in Karnataka on Wednesday, March 13. It is a part of the list of 72 candidates declared by the party for all the states barring Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a significant development, former state BJP president and three-time incumbent MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has been given the short shrift as retired army officer and BJP state secretary, Captain Brijesh Chowta has been chosen in his place for Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency. Known for his leadership skills and grassroots connect, Captain Chowta's nomination has garnered considerable attention in the coastal region.
Meanwhile, Kota Srinivas Poojary, the leader of opposition in Legislative Council has replaced current MP and union ministry of state in Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje as the candidate for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency who had been facing stiff opposition from her party members who had floated the "Go Back Shobha" campaign.
However, Shobha Karandlaje has secured the ticket for the Bengaluru North constituency and sources confide she is facing opposition in this alternative constutuency as well.
Incumbent MP Pratap Simha loses ticket to Mysore Royal scion, V Somanna accomodated, Eshwarappa's son dropped
In Mysuru, the ticket was not awarded to incumbent MP Pratap Simha. Instead, the BJP has named Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysore royal family, as its candidate, a move that has generated considerable interest in the region.
Other prominent candidates announced by the BJP include former chief minister Basavaraja Bommai for Haveri, Anna Saheb Jolla for Chikkodi, PC Gaddigowda for Bagalkot, Ramesh Jigajinigi for Vijayapura, Umesh Jadhav for Kalaburagi, Bhagwant Khuba for Bidar, Cong to BJP defector V Sommana for Tumkur, B Sriramulu for Bellary, B Y Raghavendra for Shivamogga and Tejasvi Surya for Bengaluru South. Meawhile, senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa dream to secure a ticket for his son Kanthesh from Haveri has been shattered. Sources say that Eshwarappa may convince his son to contest the LS poll as independent candidate.
Meanwhile, union minister Prahlad Joshi will fight from Dharwad constituency.
Some of the prominent candidates countrywide are Harsh Malhotra (East Delhi), former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar (Karnal), Rao Inderjit Singh (Gurgaon), Pankaja Munde (Beed), Anil Baluni (Garhwal) and former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat (Hardwar).
Union ministers Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur) and Anurag Singh Thakur (Hamirpur) are also in the list.
The party is yet to announce any Lok Sabha nominees from two major states of North India – Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
In Maharashtra, 20 candidates have been announced, giving a clear message that seat-sharing differences have been settled in Mahayuti.
The party had released its first list of 195 candidates across 16 states and Union Territories on March 2.
(With inputs from IANS)