New Delhi: After several days of dilly-dallying, the BJP on Tuesday announced the first list of candidates list for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls. The list comprises 189 candidates and includes 52 new faces. The central election committee comprising Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP chief JP Nadda, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, participated in the deliberations that lasted three to four days.
Senior BJP leader and union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a press briefing on Tuesday night said: "Today, with the recommendation of the Central Election Committee, we are announcing 189 candidates for the upcoming assembly election of Karnataka."
"52 new faces have been an opportunity in this election. BJP does give new faces the opportunity to work. 32 candidates from OBC, 30 from ST, 16 from SC. There are nine doctors on this list. One each IAS and IPS officer. 31 postgraduates and 8 women are also on this list. The 189 candidates also include five advocates, three retired government employees, and eight social activists," Arun Singh, BJP National General Secretary said in the briefing. "There is a newness, a freshness, a youthfulness in this list," Pradhan said after Arun Singh announced the list.
Key names
- BJP fields CM Basavaraj Bommai from his traditional Shiggaon seat for Karnataka assembly polls.
- Karnataka minister R Ashoka to contest against state Congress chief D K Shivakumar in Kanakapura, to fight from one more seat.
- BJP national general secretary C T Ravi to contest from his traditional Chikmagalur seat.
- Former CM B S Yediyurappa's son B Y Vijayendra to contest from his father's Shikaripura constituency.
- State minister V Somanna will contest against former chief minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress in Varuna, and also fight from one more seat.
Here is the entire list:
It may be recalled that for the past two days, BJP leaders were holding a series of meetings in New Delhi to finalise the list. Senior BJP leaders, including those from Karnataka had held a daylong deliberation on Monday to finalise candidates for the state assembly polls, incorporating in their discussions the suggestions made at the recent BJP Central Election Committee meeting. Shah, party president J P Nadda, Bommai, Yediyurappa and other leaders from the state attended these meetings. Shah later left for Arunachal Pradesh while other leaders continued the deliberations.
Bommai had on Sunday said after the CEC meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave some directions. The CM told reporters on Monday that the party is working on various inputs. He, however, did not elaborate on the nature of directions or inputs. There were speculations that the high command is unhappy with some leaders or legislators seeking tickets for their children too; also some sitting legislators and Ministers may not make it to the list.
The filing of nominations will begin on April 13, with the poll notification being issued, and the last day for filing papers is April 20. The BJP, aiming to return to power in Karnataka with absolute majority, has set a target of winning at least 150 of the total 224 seats in the Assembly. While the Congress has already announced a total of 166 candidates, including Karnataka Sarvodaya Party's Darshan Puttannaiah for whom it has extended support in Melukote constituency, in two lists, JD(S) has announced one list of 93 candidates.
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