Ashoka, Savadi & Datta file nominations for Karnataka Assembly elections

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister R Ashoka, who is taking on state Congress president D K Shivakumar in Kanakapura, former deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi who recently joined the Congress and JD(S)' YSV Datta, who recently rejoined the party, were among the prominent leaders, who filed their nominations on Tuesday, for the May 10 Assembly polls. With only two days left for formally entering the fray, candidates from various political parties filed their papers by holding roadshows and going on a temple run along with a large number of their supporters, amidst drum beats, waving of party flags and shouting of slogans.

Ashoka, a prominent Vokkaliga face in the BJP, has been fielded against Shivakumar, the community's strong man from Congress in his home constituency of Kanakapura, as part of the ruling party's strategy to give a tough fight to opposition leaders in their turf.

Ashoka filed his nomination at Kanakapura in the presence of BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh and Ramanagara district in-charge Minister C N Ashwath Narayan. They visited a temple and held a massive roadshow ahead of filing papers before the election returning officer.

"Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) is known as 'Chanakya' for his poll strategy, he is the one who has sent me to Kanakapura to contest. Earlier not even 50 people used to come for BJP here, but today if you see, thousands of people are here, it means there is a strong under current, using which I will honestly try to win here and bring in Modi rule in Kanakapura," Ashoka said.

Ashoka, who is also contesting from Padmanabhanagar constituency here, which he currently represents, filed his nomination from there on Monday.

Laxman Savadi, who recently quit BJP and joined Congress on being denied ticket from Athani, filed his papers from the segment after visiting a temple and holding a mega roadshow.

Expressing confidence of of him winning the polls with a huge margin, Savadi said Congress may be victorious in 14 out of 18 Assembly segments in Belagavi district.

Considered a close confidant of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Y S V Datta, who had quit JD(S) and joined Congress, but returned to the party recently, after being denied a ticket there, filed his nomination from Kadur.

Gowda, his son and former Minister H D Revanna, also grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna accompanied Datta while filing his papers as JD(S) candidate.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accompanied his senior cabinet colleagues Govind Karjol and Murugesh Nirani, as they filed their nominations from Mudhol and Bilgi segments, respectively. Both of them held massive roadshows ahead of filing papers.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra filed his nomination from Thirthahalli, while his opponent Congress' Kimmane Rathnakar, a former Minister, too submitted his papers.

Former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who played an instrumental role in defection of 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs in 2019 that led to the fall of coalition government and paved the way for BJP to come to power, filed his papers from Gokak on a BJP ticket.

Among others who filed nominations today include sitting MLAs- BJP's Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar), Dr Bharath Shetty Y (Mangaluru North), Minister Byrathi Basavaraj (K R Puram), Congress' Laxmi Hebbalkar (Belagavi Rural), K Shadakshari (Tiptur), M Krishnappa (Vijayanagara), B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamrajpet), and JD(S) deputy leader in the Assembly Bandeppa Kashempur (Bidar South) and A Manjunath (Magadi).

Former Minister and MLA Arvind Limbavali's wife Manjula Arvind Limbavali, who had got the ticket for the Mahadevapura Constituency, last night, also filed her papers today.