Karnataka Election 2018: List of BJP Candidates

Bengaluru: A week after the BJP released its first list of 72 candidates for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018, the party announced another 82 candidates on April 16. The first list by the BJP had included its chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, and senior leaders KS Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar. But it was the second list that contained a surprise candidate - Gali Somashekhara Reddy fielded from Bellary City. Gali Somashekhara Reddy is the youngest of Reddy brothers, mining barons for whom the iron ore-rich district of Bellary was home turf. State BJP spokesperson Vivek Reddy told NDTV that the party has "made a compromise" by fielding him since it wanted to win the Bellary city.

Mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy was a minister in the government of BS Yeddyurappa, who is leading the BJP campaign in the state. Mr Reddy was removed after massive corruption charges involving illegal mining in 2011. Somasekhara Reddy, who represented Bellary in the assembly, is accused of bribing a judge in the cash-for bail case that involved Janardhan Reddy. He is currently out on bail.

Meanwhile, BS Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura assembly constituency, while veteran state leaders Jagadish Shettar and KS Eswarappa will contest from Hubli Dharwad Central and Shimoga Assembly seats, respectively.

So far, the BJP has named 154 candidates for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly that will go to polls on May 12.

Following is the BJP's first list of 72 candidates that it released on April 8:



Following is the BJP's second list of 82 candidates that it released on April 16: