Bengaluru:Veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra and Fakira Dingaleshwar Swami of Shirahatti Fakkireshwar Math are among prominent candidates in the Lok Sabha election who filed their nominations on Thursday, for the second phase of polling in Karnataka on May 7.
Yediyurappa, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and several other leaders of the BJP-JD(S) alliance held a massive road show in support of sitting MP Raghavendra who later submitted his papers as the BJP candidate from Shimoga, a seat he has represented thrice in Parliament.
Dingaleshwar Swami, a prominent Veerashaiva Lingayat seer who filed his nomination as an independent from Dharwad Lok Sabha segment, is taking on BJP MP and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. He has accused Joshi of suppressing Veerashaiva-Lingayats and other communities, and also misusing the Lingayat maths and causing disrespect to them, in order to stay in power.
Two other BJP MPs, P C Gaddigoudar and Umesh Jadhav, also formally entered the fray from Bagalkote and Gulbarga Lok Sabha segments, respectively.