BJP releases second list of candidates; 12 names are yet to be out

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party released a list of 189 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka, the saffron party on Wednesday declared the names of 23 candidates who will contest the elections.

There are two women in the second list of 23 candidates. It also means the saffron party is yet to announce the names of the remaining 12 candidates.

Notably, the BJP has denied a ticket to Channagiri MLA Madal Virupakshappa, whose son Prashant M was caught receiving a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor on March 2.

Also, the high command has not announced the name of the candidate for the Hubbali-Dharwad Central constituency where the former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar wants to contest the election.

The central leadership had asked Shettar to make way for others following which he threatened that he would contest as an independent if not given a BJP ticket as he won the seat in the last six elections.

On Wednesday, he met BJP National President JP Nadda and conveyed his wish to contest the May 10 assembly polls. After meeting Nadda, Shettar told reporters that he cited his experience, including his six wins in assembly polls, and was told by the party president that the issue will be discussed with other senior leaders.

The BJP has denied tickets to at least eight legislators in the first list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly election.

Minister S Angara, Lalaji R Mendon (Kapu), Raghupathi Bhat (Udupi), Anil S Benake (Belagavi North), Sanjeev Matandur (Puttur), Mahadevappa Shivalingappa Yadawad MLA (Ramadurg), Ramanna Lamani (Shirahatti), and Goolihatti D Shekhar (Hosadurga) have been denied tickets.

Even the party's Kuruba face and senior leader KS Eshwarappa has been asked to make way for others due to which he announced his retirement from electoral politics.

In the second list, CM Nimbannavar in Kalaghatagi, MP Kumaraswamy in Mudigere and Neharu Olekar in Haveri along with Madal Virupakshappa have been denied tickets.

Check out the second list of candidates: