Seven LS members seek entry into K'taka Assembly

Bangalore, May 15 (UNI) Karnataka would witness by-elections to seven Lok Sabha constituencies if the seven sitting members, contesting the ongoing Assembly elections, succeed 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 the Congress and the BJP are 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. The Congress and JD(S) have their 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 been elected to the State Assembly and served as Chief Minister and minister respectively, it will be a maiden attempt 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 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 the elections to Karnataka Assembly is Mr Chickmadu (JD-S) who was elected to Lower House on Congress ticket from Hunsur Assembly seat.

UNI MV RS SJ AKJ ND1710