NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday released its second list of 41 candidates for the next-month Karnataka assembly elections and also marked a seat for the regional outfit Sarvodaya Karnataka Party.
The elections to the 224-member assembly will be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13. With the second list of candidates in 42 constituencies (including in Melukote), the party has so far announced the candidates for 166 out of total 224 seats. The party has to now finalise the list for the remaining 58 seats.
The candidates were finalised at a meeting of the Central Election Committee headed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and top party leaders from Karnataka, including former chief minister Siddaramaiah, state chief DK Shivakumar and All India Congress Committee in-charge for the state, Randeep Surjewala, were present at the meeting.
#KarnatakaPollsWithTNIE. @INCIndia releases 2nd list of 42 candidates. Ex-minister Vinay Kulkarni to contest from Dharwad. Baburao Chinchansur from Gurmitkal. Chinchansur rejoined Congress recently. @NewIndianXpress @XpressBengaluru @santwana99 @Cloudnirad @AshwiniMS_TNIE pic.twitter.com/X49CCx15gF
The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in Karnataka, the only southern state where the saffron party is in power.
There is no mention of Kolar, the second seat from where senior party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, wants to contest, in addition to Varuna, where his name is already cleared.
Baburao Chinchansur and N Y Gopalakrishna, who had quit as BJP MLC and MLA recently and joined Congress have been fielded Gurmitkal and Molakalmuru, respectively. Gopalakrishna was BJP's MLA from Kudligi in Vijayanagara district in the current Assembly.
While S R Srinivas (Vasu), who had quit as JD(S) MLA has been fielded as a candidate from Gubbi.
Congress has left the Melukote seat in Mandya district for Darshan Puttannaiah of Sarvodaya Karnataka Party. His father late Puttannaiah was a prominent farmer leader and had earlier represented the constituency.
Former Minister Vinay Kulkarni, who was expected in some quarters to take on Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon in Haveri district, has been given ticket to contest from Dharwad.
Kulkarni has been barred from entering Dharwad district by court in connection with the murder of zilla panchayat member Yogeeshgouda Goudar.
Former Chief Minister Dharam Singh's son, Vijay Dharam Singh, has got a ticket from Basavakalyan. His brother, a sitting MLA and Opposition's chief whip Ajay Dharam Singh in the current Assembly, had got the ticket from Jewargi in the first list.
Bheemasen B Chimmannakatti has been given the ticket from Badami, which was represented by Siddaramaiah. He is the son of Balappa Bhimappa Chimmankatti, who had vacated the seat for the former CM in 2018 Assembly polls.
Siddhegowda will contest from Chamundeshwari, the other seat from where Siddaramaiah had lost in the 2018 elections.
Former Ministers Santosh Lad, Anjaneya H, Kimmane Rathnakar and R B Thimmapur are contesting from Kalghatgi, Holalkere, Tirthahalli and Mudhol respectively.
It was widely expected that the Kadur seat would go to senior politician YSV Datta, who had switched to Congress from JD(S) recently, but the ticket has been given to Anand K.S. Datta was considered to be one of the close confidants of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
According to Congress sources, among the second list of 42 candidates, 11 are Lingayats (including one Reddy Lingayat), Vokkaligas 11 (including Darshan Puttannaiah), Kuruba 3, Muslims 3, SC 4, ST 2.