The Bharatiya Janata Party released its second list of 23 candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections, dropping four more legislators.
The new list issued on Wednesday does not feature veterans Jagadish Shettar, KS Eshwarappa and SA Ramdas. According to party leaders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, this was a sign that the seats were still under discussion.
The candidates dropped in the second list included Madal Virupakshappa, the BJP MLA from Channagiri who was recently arrested in a bribery case after his son was caught with over Rs 8 crore at his house.
The other MLAs who have been dropped include MP Kumaraswamy in Mudigere, who has been at the centre of controversies over his comments that he has been targeted because he is a Dalit.
ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಿಸುವ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳ ಎರಡನೇ ಪಟ್ಟಿ.
ಹಳೆ ಬೇರು ಹೊಸ ಚಿಗುರಿನ ಈ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಭವಿಷ್ಯದ ದಿಕ್ಸೂಚಿ. #BJPYeBharavase #DoubleEngineSarkara pic.twitter.com/0VWUhULkm1Davanagere North MLA Ravindranath and Haveri MLA Nehru Olekar have also been dropped. Lokikere Nagaraj and Gavisiddappa Dyamannavar have been announced as candidates in their place.
These seats are tough for the BJP and the party was focusing on winnability and addressing anti-incumbency, according to party insiders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
In the first list, the BJP had announced the names of candidates for 189 seats in the 224-member assembly on Tuesday, dropping around 12 MLAs and including 52 new entrants.
In a push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party has attempted to have a clean-up of sorts in the candidate list by ushering in new faces.
V Somanna, who is contesting against Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Varuna, had sought a ticket for his son from Gubbi. But the party has fielded SD Dileep Kumar from the Gubbi constituency.
Somanna was among the dozen leaders who had sought tickets for their sons, but only a few had been accommodated by the party.
There is also suspense over who the party will field from Shivamogga city where Eshwarappa used to contest from—specifically, on whether the party would give the ticket to his son. The party has not announced the ticket for Mahadevpura, the seat of senior leader Arvind Limbavalli, who faced many charges.
Upset over being asked not to contest, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar from Hubbali met BJP President JP Nadda in New Delhi to emphasise his demand to contest the election. Shettar has already indicated that he is set for a rebellion, after the party asked him to make way for others. On Wednesday, Shettar told the media that he is "hopeful" of getting a ticket, but would still fight the election even if the BJP doesn't want him.
"I have tried my best to convey and convince JP Nadda about my will to contest the election," Shettar said. "He promised he would consider it and discuss it with the leadership."
Shettar highlighted that he has won six elections and would like to contest this time as well.
There are two women in the list of 23 candidates, including Ashwini Sampangi, who will contest from Kolar Gold Field. There were eight women in the first list.
Filing of nominations will begin on April 13 and continue till April 20. The state goes to polls on May 10 and the counting will take place on May 13.
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