Karnataka bypolls 2018: Congress, BJP to finalise candidates today

Bengaluru, Oct 9: Congress and BJP leaders to finalize candidates for assembly and Lok Sabha by-polls on Tuesday. Karnataka Congress in charge KC Venugopal to hold a meeting with KPCC leaders in Bengaluru today.

State BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa to hold a meeting with BJP leaders at party's office in Malleshwaram today. BJP leaders to finalise candidates for assembly and Lok Sabha by-polls.

By-polls to the Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya parliamentary seats and the Ramanagara and Jamkhandi will take place on November 3 and the results will be out three days later.

The by-polls were required to fill vacancies left by the BJP's BS Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga) and B Sriramalu (Ballari), and CS Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya). They resigned as Members of Parliament on their election to the assembly in May last.

The Election Commission's decision to hold by-elections to three Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka on November 3 has surprised political parties who question the logic, with general elections due early next year.