A total of 25 candidates, including two women, filed their nomination papers on Thursday — a day after the notification for the April 26 Lok Sabha election was issued. These included one each from Congress, BJP, and JD(S), 16 from Registered Unrecognised Political parties, and remaining Independents. The 25 candidates submitted 29 sets of papers.
Two key leaders
The 25 included D.K. Suresh, the only Congress MP from Karnataka in the outgoing Lok Sabha, and Prajwal Revanna from the JD(S). Both of them are seeking a re-election from Bengaluru Rural and Hassan constituencies, respectively.
Mr. Suresh, 57, younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar, was accompanied by, among others, Ramanagara district in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Mr. Prajwal Revanna, grandson of the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was accompanied by his father and former Minister H.D. Revanna and three JD(S) MLAs. There was no leader of the BJP, the party’s alliance partner. Both the incumbent MPs visited temples in their respective constituencies before submitting their papers.
Show of strength
In a show of strength, a massive rally was held by the Congress in the Bengaluru Rural constituency. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar, who spoke on the occasion, exuded confidence that Mr. Suresh would retain the seat this time too.
Mr. Prajwal Revanna is expected to submit another set of papers some other day when the party will organise a procession of his supporters.
In Dakshina Kannada
The nomination papers of the BJP candidate for the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency Brijesh Chowta were also filed on Thursday. The former Mangaluru Urban Development Authority chairman Ravishankar Mijar was mentioned as a proposer of Mr. Chowta’s candidature. BJP sources said Mr. Chowta’s nomination was informally filed on Thursday. He will formally file his nomination papers on April 4.
