Bengaluru: Family politics in assembly elections is nothing new. This time also, fathers, children and relatives are in the election contest from various political parties. In the Belagavi district, members of the same family are in the contest in different constituencies. In Bellary, over four members of the Reddy family have entered the fray.
Ramesh Jarakiholi and Balachandra Jarakiholi are candidates from Gokak and Arabavi constituencies in the Belagavi district. Two tickets have been given to the family members of Lingayat community leader late Umesh Katti. Tickets have been issued to Ramesh Katti in the Chikkodi-Sadalaga constituency and his son Nikhil Katti has filed nominations in the Hukkeri constituency.
Transport Minister B Sriramulu from Bellary Rural and his nephew Suresh Babu are candidates from the Kampli constituency. Former chief minister S Bangarappa's son Kumar Bangarappa will contest as a BJP candidate from Soraba in Shimoga district, while his brother Madhu Bangarappa has entered the election arena as a Congress candidate for the same constituency.
BJP's S Raghu is contesting from C V Raman Nagar constituency in Bengaluru. He is former State Cabinet Minister Arvind Limbavali's brother-in-law. Aravind Limbavali is the current MLA from the Mahadevpur constituency. Both father and son from the Shamanur family in Davangere are in the election contest. 92-year-old senior politician and 5-time MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa are again contesting from the Davangere South constituency, while his son S.S. Mallikarjun is a candidate for the Davangere North.
Former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy is a candidate from Congress in Bengaluru's BTM Layout and his daughter Soumya Reddy is the candidate from Jayanagar constituency. Former MP KH Muniyappa is the Congress candidate from Kolar's Devanahalli constituency, while his daughter Rupkala M is contesting from the KGF constituency. MLA M Krishnappa and his son Priyakrishna are contesting on Congress tickets from Vijayanagar and Govindaraj Nagar constituencies.
In the JDS party, former CM HD Kumaraswamy is contesting from Channapattana, his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy from Ramanagara and brother HM Revanna from Holenarasipura Hassan.
Bellary's Reddy family are in most numbers in the electoral arena. Bellary City MLA Gali Somasekhar Reddy and Harpanahalli MLA Gali Karunakara Reddy are again contesting from BJP. While their brother and former minister Gali Janardhana Reddy has resigned from the BJP and has formed Kalyana Rajya Pragati Party. Janardhana Reddy is contesting from Gangavati and his wife Aruna Lakshmi from the Bellary City constituency from the newly formed party.
