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given the ticket to Channabasappa, while denying it to sitting MLA and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa’s family.
With their final list, both BJP and Congress have announced candidates for all the 224 Assembly segments in the state.
Congress Star Campaigner List
The Congress also released the list of its star campaigners, in which two high-profile names created buzz– one for making it and the other for being dropped off. While former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who joined the Congress this week after quitting the BJP, figures in the Congress’ list, the name of Sachin Pilot, who has been making headlines for his not-so-secret feud with Ashok Gehlot, does not figure on the list.
The list of 40-star campaigners also includes party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor. The Congress’ list of star campaigners also has many stalwarts from Karnataka such as former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, Jairam Ramesh, M Veerappa Moily, MB Patil, G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa and BK Hariprasad.
BJP’s Star Campaigner List
Meanwhile, BJP’s star campaigner list also created a buzz as the name of South Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya does not feature on it. Tejasvi is an RSS Swayamsevak and BJP’s youth morcha president, known for his strong Hindutva politics, and the omission of his name from the star campaigner list which comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Devendra Fadnavis, Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman, came as a surprise to many.
Karnataka Polls: 935 Candidates File Nominations
The penultimate day for filing the nominations saw 935 candidates, including stalwarts like Siddaramaiah from Varuna, Jagadish Shettar from Hubli-Dharwad Central and Chief Minister Bommai from Shiggaon, submitting their papers on Wednesday.
The nomination filing was a grand affair in most districts, with candidates’ rallies chocking roads in a show of strength. Many candidates also visited mutts and offered puja at temples prior to reaching the office of returning officers.
Thursday is the last day for filing nominations, and parties have announced tickets for the remaining constituencies.
‘My Last Election’, Says Siddaramaiah
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday filed nomination from Varuna constituency in this district, for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, as he reiterated that this would be his last election and virtually laid out a “succession plan” of sorts.
The 75-year-old Leader of Opposition indicated his son and grandson to be his political successors. “This is my last election, after that there is Yathindra (son), Dhawan Rakesh (grand son)…”, he said.
Siddaramaiah’s younger son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting Congress MLA from Varuna.
An eight time MLA, Siddaramaiah had earlier won twice from Varuna, and went on to become the Leader of Opposition after winning from here in 2008, and then became Chief Minister after 2013 Assembly polls.
PM Modi, Shah and Yogi Adityanath To Campaign for BJP Candidates
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to arrive in Udupi on May 4 to take part in a conference of BJP workers, party sources said. Adityanath is also expected to accompany Modi, they added.
BJP Udupi district president Kuyilady Suresh Nayak indicated that the Prime Minister would attend a conference of party workers ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka.
A huge function will be arranged in the city or some other suitable place for the visit. National leaders have conveyed the matter to the district party, sources said. PM Modi is expected to address at least 15-20 rallies ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka.
Furthermore, Shah is also scheduled to hold road shows in Davanagere and Devanahalli on April 21 and 22 and attend several organisational meetings in Bengaluru as the BJP’s campaign to retain power in the state goes into a higher gear.
Party sources said Shah will be in the state between April 20-23 and will leave for Telangana on the last day to attend political programmes in Telangana’s Chevella Lok Sabha seat.
Shah’s road shows are expected to give a fillip to the party’s mass connect in Karnataka. His several meetings with the state party leaders tasked to spearhead the campaign are expected to fine-tune the poll strategy.
Karnataka Assembly Election
The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13. The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP from power in the southern state.
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