Congress Names Candidates For Karnataka Polls, Siddaramaiah Changes His Seat

Bengaluru: The Congress on Sunday evening released its first list of 218 candidates in the high-stakes elections in Karnataka next month. Candidates for the remaining six out of the total of 224 seats have not been named so far. As expected, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been contesting from the Varuna constituency since 2008, will contest from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru this elections. Speculation that he might contest from a second seat also has so far not proven to be correct. The chief minister was in Delhi this weekend to finalise the names. Almost all sitting legislators have been given tickets.

Siddaramaiah's son Dr Yatheendra is set to contest from the Varuna constituency. Apart from the chief minister and his son, the children of at least four sitting legislators have been given tickets. The family combos in the list include home minister Ramalinga Reddy and his daughter Soumya, law minister TB Jayachandra and son, housing minister M Krishnappa and son Priya Krishna and Shamanur Shivshankarappa and son SS Mallikarjun.

DK Shivakumar, a controversial minister in Siddaramaiah's cabinet, will contest from Kanakapura. State Congress chief Dr G Parameshwara has been given the Korategere ticket despite losing last time. Other leaders like RV Deshpande and UT Khader will contest from Haliyal and Mangalore seats, respectively.

Film star Ambareesh has been given the Mandya ticket. So far the Congress candidate for the Shantinagar seat in Bengaluru has not been announced. The seat is currently held by NA Haris, whose son was recently arrested for alleged assault. 

Ashok Kheny, the controversial businessmen who joined Congress recently, will contest from Bidar South. Mr Kheny heads the Bengaluru-Mysuru Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE).

The BJP, which announced its first list of candidates for the elections last week, is yet name the rest of its candidates. The party's chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura assembly constituency.

Veteran state BJP leaders Jagadish Shettar and KS Eswarappa will contest from Hubli Dharwad Central and Shimoga Assembly seats, respectively. The BJP has also fielded its Lok Sabha lawmaker B Sriramulu in the polls.

The elections to the 224-seat assembly in Karnataka are scheduled for May 12. Counting of votes will take place three days later. Karnataka is the only big state where is the Congress is in power.

Siddaramaiah has recently warned that a fake list of candidates  was in circulation to create confusion among the masses.