BJP names candidates for remaining seats; no Shivamogga ticket for Eshwarappa’s son

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday night released its fourth and final list of two candidates for the Karnataka assembly elections.

In the final list, the party has fielded Channabasappa from Shivamogga, while sitting MLA and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa’s son was denied a ticket.

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Eshwarappa, a former deputy chief minister, had recently conveyed to the party’s central leadership his decision to retire from electoral politics, and had requested to not consider fielding him in the assembly polls from Shivamogga.

The five-time MLA from the seat, however, had sought the ticket for his son KE Kantesh.

Reacting on the same, Eshwarappa on Thursday said he was not angry with the BJP, and expressed confidence that the party will form government with an absolute majority.

“I am not angry with BJP. Those who have left the BJP have to be brought back. We have to bring them back to the BJP who are angry with our party and joined the Congress. The BJP will win and form the government with an absolute majority,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and MLC Ayanur Manjunath, who was also a ticket aspirant from Shivamogga, quit the party earlier on Wednesday, and joined JD(S).

He is now the JD(S) candidate from the constituency.

From Manvi, a ST (Scheduled Tribe) reserved constituency, the party has fielded the newly inducted BV Naik as the candidate.

Naik, who had quit Congress over ticket denial, had joined the BJP on Monday.

With the announcement of this list, the BJP has announced candidates for all the 224 assembly constituencies in the state.

Today is the last day for filing nominations.

Voting will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be on May 13.