Thursday, June 8, 2023
  • Login
The South First
  • Home
  • States
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
  • Politics
    • Behind the News
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Videos
  • Karnataka Elections 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • States
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
  • Politics
    • Behind the News
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Videos
  • Karnataka Elections 2023
No Result
View All Result
The South First
No Result
View All Result

Home » Karnataka » Karnataka polls: Congress’ 2nd list accommodates young faces, turncoats; Kolar still a mystery

Karnataka polls: Congress’ 2nd list accommodates young faces, turncoats; Kolar still a mystery

In its second list of candidates, the Congress gave the Melukote seat in Old Mysuru to late farmer-leader Puttannaiah's son Darshan.

South First DeskbySouth First Desk
Published:06/04/2023 8:24 pm
A A
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Rahul Gandhi at Congres CEC meeting to decide second list of candidates. (Supplied)

AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Rahul Gandhi at Congres CEC meeting to decide second list of candidates. (Supplied)

Will Siddaramaiah contest the Karnataka Assembly elections from two seats? The question remained unanswered even after Congress released its second list of candidates for the upcoming 10 May polls.

What the list, released on Thursday, 6 April, made clear was that he would not contest his incumbent seat of Badami.

After two days of deliberations by the party’s Central Election Committee at the AICC headquarters, the Congress released its list of 42 candidates, which showed one seat had been given to Darshan Puttannaiah of the Sarvodaya Karnataka Party. Darshan is the son of the popular deceased farmer leader Puttannaiah.

With this list, the Congress has announced names of candidates for 166 seats so far.

Out of the 166, 11 candidates are from the Muslim community. The list so far has only six women candidates, of whom only one is a non-incumbent.

ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಪಕ್ಷದ 42 ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳ 2ನೇ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯನ್ನು ಅಧಿಕೃತವಾಗಿ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆಗೊಳಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಭವ್ಯ ಭವಿಷ್ಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗಾಗಿ, ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರ ಮುಕ್ತ ಆಡಳಿತಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳನ್ನು ಬೆಂಬಲಿಸಿ, ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕೆಂದು ವಿನಂತಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ. pic.twitter.com/FrV8v9wXkg

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 6, 2023

According to Congress sources, 11 among the second list of 42 candidates are Lingayats (including one Reddy Lingayat), another 11 Vokkaligas (including Darshan Puttannaiah), three Kurubas, three Muslims, four from SCs, and two are from STs. The second list doesn’t have a single woman candidate.

The party has to now finalise the list for the remaining 58 seats.

Related: Congress first list for Karnataka polls retains incumbents

Turncoats and Kolar mystery

While the party has already announced Siddaramaiah as its candidate for the Varuna constituency, the former chief minister is said to be keen on contesting from the Kolar seat as well.

The party’s internal surveys have suggested that Kolar is a risky seat for Siddaramaiah, one that would require all of his attention and time, and leave no space for him to campaign for the party in the rest of the state.

Siddaramaiah’s assessment of the seat, however, indicates that his bid from Kolar would help consolidate minority, backward classes, and Dalit votes even in the neighbouring seats in favour of Congress.

With the party’s state president DK Shivakumar and his faction adamant that no candidate would contest from more than one seat, Siddaramaiah contesting from Kolar has been a bone of contention.

A total of 42 candidates, including three defectors, who recently quit as legislators and joined the Congress, and one outside candidate, Darshan, made it to the second list.

Baburao Chinchansur and NY Gopalakrishna recently quit as BJP MLC and MLA, respectively.

They joined the Congress and have been fielded as candidates in Gurmitkal and Molakalmuru, respectively.

SR Srinivas (Vasu), who had quit as a JD(S) MLA, has been fielded as a candidate from Gubbi.

Gopalakrishna was the BJP’s MLA from Kudligi in the Vijayanagara district in the current Assembly. There were protests outside the KPCC office on the day he joined the party, with cadres insisting that he shouldn’t be given a ticket.

“He is very popular in the region and has a dedicated voter base,” said a Congress leader justifying the picking Gopalakrishna for Molakalmuru despite the party having an in-house aspirant.

Former minister Vinay Kulkarni, who was expected in some quarters to take on Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon in the Haveri district, has been given a ticket from Dharwad.

Kulkarni has been barred from entering the Dharwad district by a court in connection with the murder of local Zila Panchayat member Yogeesh Goudar.

The party is now likely to pick a Muslim candidate in Basavaraj Bommai’s constituency Shiggaon to consolidate minority voters along with a section of Lingayats and backward classes.

Related: Prominent SC Left leaders join Congress ahead of polls

Young names, calculated candidates

The second list of candidates by Congress has some young names and calculated picks.

Former chief minister Dharam Singh’s son Vijay Dharam Singh has got a ticket from Basavakalyan. His brother Ajay Dharam Singh, a sitting MLA and the Opposition’s chief whip in the current Assembly, had got a ticket from Jewargi in the first list.

Bheemasen B Chimmannakatti has been given the ticket from Badami, which is currently represented by Siddaramaiah. He is the son of Balappa Bhimappa Chimmankatti, who had vacated the seat for the former chief minister in the 2018 Assembly polls.

Siddhegowda will contest from Chamundeshwari, the seat from where Siddaramaiah lost in the 2018 elections, removing all speculations of Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra contesting from there. Yathindra, the incumbent MLA from Varuna, is expected to spearhead his father’s campaign.

Former ministers Santosh Lad, Anjaneya H, Kimmane Rathnakar, and RB Thimmapur are contesting from Kalghatgi, Holalkere, Tirthahalli, and Mudhol, respectively.

South First opinion poll: Corruption top issue for voters in Karnataka

More electoral equations

It was widely expected that the Kadur seat would go to senior politician YSV Datta, who had switched to the Congress from the JD(S) recently, but the ticket has been given to Anand KS — a young Kuruba leader who the party believes would be able to win by a big margin.

Datta was considered to be one of the close confidants of former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda.

A key pick of the Congress in its second list is Mahantesh Kadadi for the Gokak constituency, which is currently represented by Ramesh Jarkiholi of the BJP.

Jarkiholi led the team of defectors from the Congress-JD(S) coalition government to join the BJP, and is engaged in a publicly-acknowledged rivalry with DK Shivakumar. The Congress is confident that Kadadi will breach Jarkiholi’s bastion.

For seats in Bengaluru like Yelahanka and Yeshwanthapura, where the Congress lost its MLAs to defection, the party has fielded Keshava Rajanna B and S Balraj Gowda, putting to rest speculations of incumbent ministers Byrathi Basavaraj and ST Somashekhar returning to the Congress.

Related: Congress to be single-largest party in Karnataka 2023 poll

Recommended For You

YS Avinash Reddy. (Facebook)
Andhra Pradesh

Viveka murder case: YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy is now listed by CBI as Accused No 8

June 8, 2023
File photo of political strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
Behind the News

Constantly on the radar in Telangana, Sunil Kanugolu’s team to shift lock, stock, and barrel to Congress-governed Karnataka

June 8, 2023
Eatala Rajendar, Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
News

As discontent simmers, BJP central leadership in a bind over keeping its Telangana flock together

June 8, 2023
Avinash Reddy Viveka case
Andhra Pradesh

Viveka murder case: Supreme Court moved against anticipatory bail granted to YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy

June 8, 2023
Sradha Satheesh, a second year student of Amal Jyothi Engineering College was found hanging in her hostel room on Friday, 2 June.(Supplied)
Kerala

Sradha suicide: Kerala Police recover suicide note from college hostel; family calls investigation a farce

June 8, 2023
Kerala monsoon
Kerala

IMD declares monsoon onset, but experts say progress may be slow; Kerala braces for heavy rains

June 8, 2023

Top Stories

Eatala Rajendar, Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

As discontent simmers, BJP central leadership in a bind over keeping its Telangana flock together

June 8, 2023
Kerala monsoon

IMD declares monsoon onset, but experts say progress may be slow; Kerala braces for heavy rains

June 8, 2023
Kerala was ranked sixth in the previous FSI. (Creative Commons)

Kerala tops FSSAI’s Food Safety Index, Tamil Nadu slips to 3rd slot. See how other South states fared

June 8, 2023

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Like and Follow

Follow @TheSouthfirst

Latest

YS Avinash Reddy. (Facebook)

Viveka murder case: YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy is now listed by CBI as Accused No 8

June 8, 2023
FEFKA Shadow police

Will not allow deployment of shadow police on Malayalam film sets: FEFKA Directors’ Union

June 8, 2023
File photo of political strategist Sunil Kanugolu.

Constantly on the radar in Telangana, Sunil Kanugolu’s team to shift lock, stock, and barrel to Congress-governed Karnataka

June 8, 2023
The South First

CATEGORIES

  • News
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Entertainment & Culture
  • Featured
  • Health & Wellness
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Karnataka
  • Kerala
  • Tamil Nadu
  • Telangana

PAGES

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© 2023 The South First

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • States
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
  • Politics
    • Behind the News
  • Entertainment & Culture
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Health & Wellness
  • Karnataka Elections 2023
  • Dakshin Dialogues
  • Videos

© 2023 The South First

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our