BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday night released its first list of 189 candidates. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said a second list is also expected soon.
The BJP’s first list includes 52 new candidates of which 32 belong to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 30 belong to the Scheduled Castes (SC) while eight are are women.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be contesting from his home turf Shiggaon, as he had declared earlier. As announced by senior leader B S Yediyurappa, his son and state BJP vice-president B Y Vijayendra will be contesting from the home turf Shikaripur.
Former deputy CM Laxman Savadi has been denied a ticket while Mahesh Kumathalli will be contesting from Athani. In a surprise move, Revenue Minister R Ashoka will be contesting from his Padmanabha Nagar constituency and also from Kanakapura where he will take on KPCC president D K Shivakumar.
Interestingly, Housing Minister V Somanna, who had been asked to take care of Chamarajanagar, will take on Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah in Varuna constituency in Mysuru, though he had expressed his disinclination. He will also be constesting from Chamarajanagar, though he had sought a ticket for his son.
While Transport Minister B Sriramulu will be contesting from Bellary Rural, Yashpal Suvarna will contest from Udupi for the first time while sitting MLA Raghupathi Bhat has been denied a ticket.
Union Minister and Karnataka poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhans said, “We have received opinions from all 31 districts in the state and 25,000 volunteers worked on it” The list also includes nine doctors, five lawyers, and retired IAS and IPS officers.
While most of those who switched sides from the Congress, including Ramesh Jarkiholi have been picked, former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, who recently switched sides from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be contesting from Chamarajpet while former IAS officer Anil Kumar will be contesting from Koratagere (SC).