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Key leaders HD Kumaraswamy, CN Manjunath, Tejasvi Surya rush to file nominations in Karnataka
Key political figures including H D Kumaraswamy, C N Manjunath, and Tejasvi Surya file nominations for Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
Bengaluru Several key political figures including JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, renowned cardiologist C N Manjunath, and Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday submitted their papers for the Lok Sabha elections on the last day of filing nominations for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy was accompanied by senior leaders including BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) stalwart B S Yediyurappa, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant, and party candidate from neighbouring Mysuru and scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar.
At a press meet after filing his nomination, Kumaraswamy said that he is contesting the Lok Sabha polls due to inevitable reasons. “I will stand by the people of Mandya all the times in Parliament,” he said. When asked if wants to become a Union minister if elected, he said, ”Everything is God’s grace and I will do my best for the people of Mandya.”
Under the seat-sharing agreement, the BJP is set to contest 25 constituencies while JD(S) will contest in three - Mandya, Hassan, and Kolar.
CN Manjunath, who is Deve Gowda’s son-in-law, filed his nomination as a BJP candidate from the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, accompanied by his wife Anasuya and several BJP leaders and MLAs.
In Bangalore South, incumbent MP Tejasvi Surya of BJP filed his nomination after holding a rally and roadshow, which was attended by Union minister Anurag Thakur and other prominent leaders from both BJP and JD(S). Notably, JD(S) youth wing leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy joined Surya during a temple visit preceding the nomination filing.
“Years ago, @narendramodi & Bengaluru South posed their faith in me to work for our city’s development with a huge margin. Come April 26, citizens will come out in large numbers to ensure another record victory & continue the SaffronWaveInBengaluru,” he said in a post on X.
In Tumakuru, former MP Muddahanumegowda S P filed his nomination as a Congress candidate in the presence of home minister G Parameshwara and cooperation minister K N Rajanna. Similarly in Chitradurga, Congress candidate B N Chandrappa and his BJP opponent Govind Karjol submitted their papers, with chief minister Siddaramaiah rallying in support of Chandrappa.
In Hassan, sitting MP Prajwal Revanna, representing JD(S), submitted his papers amidst a grand roadshow, accompanied by his grandfather Deve Gowda and other political figures.
With 14 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats slated for polls in the first phase, the scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for April 5, while April 8 marks the final day for the withdrawal of candidatures.
As per the data released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, a total of 358 candidates have submitted their nominations in the 14 constituencies going to poll on April 26. Out of this, 183 were filed their nominations were filed on Thursday alone. Of the 358 candidates, only 25 are women, as per the data. A maximum number of candidates filed their nominations in Chikkaballapura constituency where 36 candidates are in the fray, followed by Bengaluru south where 34 candidates have filed their nominations.
