Karnataka Bypolls: BJP Fields AK Guththur From Ranibennur, No Ticket For Congress Rebel R Shankar

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced Arun Kumar Guththur as its candidate for December 5 bypolls to Ranibennur Assembly Constituency, denying ticket to R Shankar, a disqualified Congress MLA. It is to be noted that R Shankar joined BJP along with 15 other rebels from Congress and JDS on Thursday.

The BJP’s press release said, “The Central Election Committee has decided the one name for the ensuing By-election to the Legislative Assembly of KARNATAKA.” It further noted that Arun Kumar Guththur will be competing from Ranibennur Assembly Constituency in the upcoming bypolls.

Earlier, the BJP nominated 13 Congress and JDS MLAs, who were disqualified ahead of a trust vote, as its candidates for the assembly bypolls in Karnataka.

All the 13 disqualified MLAs have been repeated from their respective seats. The disqualified Congress MLAs who have been given tickets by the BJP are Mahesh Kumatalli (Athani), Shrimanthagouda Patil (Kagwad), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Shivram Hebbar (Yellapur), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Anand Singh (Vijayanagara), K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapura), Byrati Basavaraj (K R Puram), ST Somashekar (Yeshwanthpur) and MTB Nagaraj (Hoskote).

JDS members who have been given tickets by the BJP are K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), AH Vishwanath (Hunsur) and KC Narayana Gowda (Krishnarajpet).

M Sharavana was fielded from Shivajinagar Assembly Constituency.

The BJP will need to win at least six out of those 15 seats to remain in power. Of the 15 constituencies, 12 were represented by Congress and three by JD(S).

Also Read: Karnataka Bypoll: BJP Denies Ticket To Congress Rebel Roshan Baig, Fields Sharavana From Shivajinagar

Janata Dal (Secular) has also announced the names of 10 candidates out of 15 in their first list for assembly bypolls in Karnataka. The list of candidates includes KP Bache Gowda from Chikkaballapur, NM Nabi from Vijayanagar and Chaitra Gowda from Yellapur.