Seven Lok Sabha members seek entry into Karnataka Assembly

Bangalore, May 15 (UNI) Karnataka would witness by-elections to seven Lok Sabha constituencies if seven sitting members, including union minister M H Ambareesh, contesting in the ongoing Assembly elections succeeds in their bid to enter the Assembly.

This amounts to a fourth of the total 28 Lok Sabha segments in the state. Three each from Congress and BJP in the fray, besides State unit Samajwadi Party President S Bangarappa who represents Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency.

He is pitted against BJP Chief Ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa in Shikaripur in Shimoga districts. In their big to see the defeat of the BJP leader, Congress and JD(S) have extended support to Mr Bangarappa by withdrawing their candidates.

The sitting Lok Sabha members who have entered the fray are Ramesh Jigajinagi (Chikkodi), Basavaraj Patil Yatnal (Bijapur) and G Karunakara Reddy (Bellary) from BJP, M H Ambareesh (Mandya), Narasinga Rao Suryavamshi (Bidar), Venkatesh Nayak (Raichur) from Congress and S Bangarappa.

While S Bangarappa and Ramesh Jigajinagi had earlier got elected to state assembly and served as Chief Minister and minister respectively, it will be maiden attempt to make it to Assembly for the other five.

Incidentally an equal number of sitting members from Karnataka Legislative Council -- two each from BJP, Congress and JD(S) and an Independent are also trying their luck in the state assembly elections.

They are Shobha Karandlaje and Aravinda Limbavali (BJP), H K Patil and Sathish Jarakiholi (Cong), Y S V Datta and Chickmadu (JD-S) and independent member Arun Machaiah.

Among those MLC's who are contesting elections to Karantaka Assembly Mr Chickmadu (JD-S) was elected to lower house on Congress ticket from Hunsur assembly seat.

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