Karnataka: As Congress Gives Ticket To Geetha Shivaraj Kumar, BJP Approaches Puneeth's Wife

As Karnataka braces for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, political parties are intensifying efforts to woo voters, with star power emerging as a key battleground. Both the Congress and the BJP have turned their attention to the spouses of iconic figures in the state's entertainment industry.

Congress has given a ticket to Geetha, wife of Sandalwood legend Shivaraj Kumar, who hails from the revered first family of Kannada cinema. Meanwhile, the BJP has reached out to Ashwini, the wife of the late Puneeth Rajkumar.

In a notable development, Shobha Karandlage, BJP's candidate for Bengaluru North, along with former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan, paid a visit to Ashwini at her residence on Tuesday, seeking her support for their party's cause.

Puneeth Rajkumarhad remained apolitical throughout his life, refraining from involvement in political campaigns. Notably, he never campaigned for Geetha's candidacy during previous elections, and Ashwini similarly abstained from participating in political activities then.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Puneeth Rajkumar expressed discomfort after his name was allegedly used by political figures, urging parties to refrain from such tactics.

On her X account, Karandlage has said that they have requested Ashwini to support her in the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to media, the BJP leader said that the wife of Puneeth Rajkumar does not belong to any party and they visited her house as she is a respectable citizen in the constituency.

The BJP high command has replaced Sadananda Gowda with Shobha in the Bengaluru North constituency.

Coming back to Congress, Geetha is the daughter of former Karnataka Chief Minister S Bangarappa. Her brother Madhu Bangarappa is a minister in the Siddaramaiah government.

She has been fielded from the Shivvamogga constituency where she will be taking on BY Raghavendra, son of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.