The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced that Karunakara Reddy, the brother of mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, will contest from Harapanahalli in Ballari district in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. His was one of the 59 names announced in the party’s third list of candidates, reported ANI.
Janardhan Reddy is an accused in an illegal mining case. Karunakara Reddy is the second brother of Janardhan Reddy’s to get a BJP ticket. Earlier this month, Somashekara Reddy was named the BJP’s candidate from Bellary City.
Karnataka will have its polls on May 12 to elect representatives to 224 seats. The results will be announced on May 15.
The party had released its first list of 72 candidates on April 8, followed by the second list of 82 candidates on April 16. With the third list, the party has named candidates for 213 of the 224 seats in Karnataka.
The party has fielded Gopal Rao from Chamundeshwari. He will be up against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Former MLA Raghupati Bhat will contest from Udupi. There was confusion over who the party would pick to contest from the constituency as it did not name a candidate in the first two lists, according to The News Minute. Bhat will contest against Congress MLA and Minister of Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports Pramod Madhwaraj.
Madhwaraj had succeeded Bhat as the MLA of Udupi after the BJP leader withdrew his candidature in the 2013 Assembly elections, citing “personal reasons”. A video clip of Bhat with an unidentified woman was leaked to TV channels in March 2013, just before elections in the state.
In its first list of candidates, the party named former MLA Y Sampangi to contest from the Kolar Gold Fields constituency. The party has now decided to field his daughter Ashwini Sampangi as he is facing corruption charges in a case filed in 2014, reported The Deccan Herald. A petition seeking a stay on hearing the case is set to come up on April 26. In 2012, Y Sampangi was convicted in a corruption case.
Another former MLA, Lalaji Mendon, will contest from Kaup. He won in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008. However, Vinay Kumar Sorake of the Congress defeated him in 2013.
Ramesh Kumar has been given a ticket for the Hunsur seat, which was once represented by former Chief Minister D Devaraj Urs for six terms, reported Firstpost.
The lists released so far have not yet named BS Yeddyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra, who has already started campaigning in Varuna constituency in Mysuru district, reported The Deccan Herald. The Congress has fielded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yatheendra from there.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!