A day after joining the Congress, CP Yogeshwar filed nominations for the Channapatna seat on Thursday. He represented the segment five times in the past.
Published Oct 24, 2024 | 5:53 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 24, 2024 | 5:53 PM
Nikhil Kumaraswamy with BJP and JD(S) leaders. (Facebook)
It’s an irony. Congress often cries foul over turncoats and BJP vehemently criticises dynasty politics. Yet, NDA has fielded a dynast – Nikhil Kumaraswamy – son of Union minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress has fielded a turncoat – CP Yogeshwar – as respective candidates in Channapatna assembly bypoll.
The NDA alliance in Karnataka on Thursday, 24 October, announced JD(S) Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy as its candidate for the by-poll for the Channapatna Assembly seat.
It felt vacant after his father and JD(S) State President HD Kumaraswamy won the Lok Sabha elections from Mandya and resigned as an MLA. In the 2023 Assembly polls in the state, Nikhil had lost to Congress’ HA Iqbal Hussain in the Ramanagaram constituency.
The by-polls will be held on 13 November in 48 Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats in 15 states, including Karnataka. In Karnataka, elections will be held for three Assembly constituencies – Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna.
Meanwhile, a day after joining the Congress, CP Yogeshwar filed nominations for the Channapatna seat on Thursday. He represented the segment five times in the past. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other party leaders accompanied Yogeshwar.
He had resigned from the BJP a few days ago. Yogeshwar wanted to contest on the BJP’s ticket but the JD(S) wanted the ticket for itself as it was a seat held by Kumaraswamy. Yogeshwar had also turned down Kumaraswamy’s offer that he could contest on a JD(S) ticket.
In Shiggaon, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s son Bharat Bommai filed his nomination for the BJP. Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the same seat.
The seat fell vacant after Basavaraj Bommai was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Haveri seat.
In another development, Congress candidate Annapoorna Tukaram filed nominations for the Sandur Assembly segment. This constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Annapoorna is the wife of Ballari MP E Tukaram, who represented the Sandur (ST) seat for four times in the Legislative Assembly until he vacated the seat after winning the Lok Sabha polls this year. In Sandur, BJP candidate Bangaru Hanumantha filed nominations on Wednesday.
The candidates can file nominations for the by-polls till Friday. Candidates can withdraw from the election before 30 October and the votes will be counted on 23 November.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Mahesh M Goudar.)
