New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election, featuring 189 names, including 52 new faces.
Anil Benake and Mahadevappa Shivalingappa Yadawad, the sitting MLAs of Belagavi North and Ramdurg constituencies respectively, were denied tickets to contest in the upcoming assembly elections in the Belagavi district.
The party instead fielded Ravi Patil and Chikkarevanna to contest from Belagavi North and Ramdurg respectively.
Last night, supporters of BJP MLA Mahadevappa Yadawad took to the streets in the Ramdurg constituency in Belagavi and protested against the party's decision to refuse him a ticket to contest in the elections.
In the video, they can be heard raising slogans against the BJP.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will contest the Shiggaon Assembly seat and national general secretary of BJP CT Ravi will fight for the Chikmagluru seat.
Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka has been pitted against Congress president DK Shivakumar on the Kanakpura seat. BJP has fielded Housing and Infrastructure Development V Somanna against Congress's Siddaramaiah in Varuna. Somanna will also contest the Chamrajnagar seat.
There are 52 fresh candidates in BJP's first list for the Karnataka election. As many as 32 OBC candidates, 30 SC candidates, and 16 ST candidates, were given tickets. "There are doctors, IPS and IAS officers, 31 PG candidates, and eight women. There are five advocates, nine doctors, three academicians, two retired IAS and IPS officers, three retired government employees, and eight social workers in this list," said BJP's national general secretary Arun Singh.
The announcement comes after the party's Central Election Committee and Parliamentary Board meeting concluded on Sunday and then again deliberated over certain names on Monday.