The Congress on Tuesday released its fourth list of candidates, which included Jagadish Shettar, a day after his switch from the BJP ahead of the upcoming Karnataka assembly polls. The six-time MLA and former state chief minister is being fielded from Hubballi – Dharwad-Central constituency, a seat he has won multiple times. The list included 6 other candidates apart from Shettar.
The party has fielded Mohammed Yousuf Savanur against CM Basavaraj Bommai in the Shiggaon assembly seat. From the Chikamagalur assembly constituency, which is currently represented by BJP general secretary C T Ravi, H D Thammaaiah from Congress is contesting.
On Saturday, Congress released its third list of 43 candidates which did not give former CM Siddaramaiah a second ticket from Kolar but introduced 16 fresh faces. The party has now announced 216 candidates as the state goes to polls on May 10 for its 224 seats. Karnataka Congress had announced the first list of 124 candidates before the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission.
The 7 candidates in Congress’ fourth list are:
Hubballi – Dharwad-Central: Jagadish Shettar
Lingsugur – SC: Durgappa S. Hoolageri
Hubli-Dharwad -West: Deepak Chinchore
Shiggaon: Mohammed Yousuf Savanur
Harihar: Nandagavi Srinivas
Chikmagalur: H.D. Thammaiah
Shravanabelagola: M.A. Gopalaswamy
Karnataka’s prominent Lingayat leader Shettar joined the Congress on Monday morning after he was denied a ticket by the BJP. Earlier, BJP leader Arun Singh said Shettar will be taught a “lesson” through his defeat in the elections as the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituence has been a “safe” seat for the ruling party and will remain so. “Shettar had been winning from the constituency as it was a BJP seat and not because of any mass base which he never had,” he told news agency PTI.
On Monday, BJP released the third and the last list of 10 candidates for the elections. This comes days after it announced 23 candidates in the second and 189 candidates in the first lists.
