BJP releases second list of candidates for 23 seats even as dissent brews over first list

BENGALURU: Even before the disenchantment over the announcement of the first list could die down, the BJP announced its second list of 23 candidates for the upcoming Assembly election late on Wednesday night. It is, however, yet to announce its candidates for 12 constituencies which include Hubballi-Dharwad Central, currently represented by former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.

The BJP leader had met party national president J P Nadda earlier in the day on Wednesday and had expressed confidence that he will get the ticket. Senior leader B S Yediyurappa too had said that Shettar will in all probability get the ticket.

In the second list, three sitting MLAs have been denied tickets while Minister V Somanna’s son Arun Somanna’s name has not been announced for Gubbi constituency. Somanna himself has been asked to contest from both Varuna and Chamarajanagar. The party has not annouced candidates from Govindaraja Nagar, Hebbal and Mahadevapura in Bengaluru.

The BJP’s second list is as follows: Devara Hipparagi-Somanagouda Patil, Basavana Bagevadi-S K Bellubbi, Indi-Kasagouda Biradar, Gurmitkal-Lalita Anapur, Bidar-Eshwar Singh Thakur, Bhalki-Prakash Khandre, Gangavati- Paranna Munavalli, Kalaghatgi-Nagaraj Chabbi, Hanagal-Shivaraj Sajjanavar, Haveri (SC)-Gavisiddappa Dyamannavar, Harappanahalli-Karunakar Reddy, Davanagere North-Lokikere Nagaraj, Davangere South-Ajay Kumar.

Others are Mayakonda (SC)-Basavaraj Naik, Channagiri-Shivakumar, in place of Madal Virupakshappa, Byndoor-Gururaj Gantihole, Mudigere (SC)-Deepak Doddaiah, in place of M P Kumaraswamy, Gubbi-S D Dilip Kumar, Sidlaghatta-Ramachandra Gowda, Kolar Gold Fields (SC)-Ashwini Sampangi, Shravanabelagola-Chidananda, Arasikere-GV Basavaraj and Heggadadevanakote (ST)-Krishna Naik.

Earlier, BJP released its  first list of 189 candidates. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be contesting from his home turf Shiggaon, as he had declared earlier.