Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Watch out for these big names in the fray

Karnataka is polling today (10 May), with voters sealing the fate of 2,613 candidates in the fray. Which party comes to power will be clear on 13 May as the results are announced for 224 Karnataka Assembly constituencies. A victory for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state will be a shot in the arm, while if Congress is successful in overthrowing the saffron party, it could greatly boost the morale of its cadres ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Janata Dal (Secular) can be a kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.

As Karnataka votes to elect its new government, which are the key candidates that you should watch out for? Let’s take a closer look.

Basavaraj Bommai

Karnataka chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, is the BJP’s candidate from Shiggaon in the Haveri district, where he will contest against Congress’ Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan.

Son of former Karnataka chief minister the late Somappa Rayappa Bommai, 63-year-old Bommai is seeking re-election from Shiggaon for the fourth consecutive term.

He served as the state home minister in the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government in 2019, before replacing him as the chief minister in 2021.

Siddaramaiah

Congress’ Siddaramaiah is fighting from the Varuna constituency. The former Karnataka chief minister has already declared that this will be his last election. The Varuna seat is currently held by his son Yatindra Siddaramaiah, who campaigned for his father for the crucial polls.

The BJP has pitted V Somanna against the Congress veteran.

It remains to be seen if Congress’ high command will back 75-year-old Siddaramaiah for the chief minister post if the party comes to power.

DK Shivakumar

The other Congress hopeful for the chief ministerial post is DK Shivakumar. The seven-time MLA and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president is fighting from the Kanakapura constituency.

One of the richest politicians in the state, the 60-year-old Vokkaliga leader will face BJP’s R Ashoka and JD(S)’ Nagaraj in the 10 May Assembly elections.

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HD Kumaraswamy

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy is in the fray from the Channapatna seat. He is being challenged by actor-turned-politician CP Yogeshwara, who is the BJP candidate, and Congress’ S Gangadhar.

Yogeshwara had fought against Kumaraswamy in the 2018 Assembly elections, however, he lost by 21,530 votes, noted Times of India (TOI).

ಚಿಕ್ಕಬಳ್ಳಾಪುರ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ರೋಡ್ ಶೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಬಂಧುಗಳು, ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು ಹಾಗೂ ಮುಖಂಡರು ನೆರೆದಿದ್ದರು. ಇಂಥ ಬೆಂಬಲ ನೀಡಿದ ಜನತೆಗೆ ಅನಂತ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/h5EhG5twTl

— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) May 7, 2023

Kumaraswamy has been the state chief minister twice. In 2006, he joined hands with the BJP and got the top post. But it was a short tenure which ended in 2007 when the saffron party pulled out its support.

In 2018, the JD(S) forged an alliance with the Congress to form the government, with Kumaraswamy once again becoming the chief minister. However, he could not retain the post for long as several MLAs resigned and defected to the BJP.

TKumaraswamy’s son Nikhil has been fielded from Ramanagara. Nikhil, an actor-turned-politician, had unsuccessfully contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Mandya.

ALSO READ: Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Which poll issues will decide the fate of the parties?

CT Ravi

BJP national general secretary CT Ravi is vying to be re-elected for the fifth time from Chikmagalur. He is up against Congress’ HD Thammaiah, who was his aide once, as per Deccan Herald.

While Thammaiah is a Lingayat leader, Ravi comes from the Vokkaliga community.

Notably, the Chikmagalur constituency was previously a Congress bastion before Ravi started winning since 2004.

BY Vijayendra

BJP strongman BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra is running from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. As per Economic Times, Yediyurappa has been triumphing from the Shikaripura constituency since the 1980s, except for once in 1999. However, the veteran leader is not contesting from any seat this time.

As Vijayendra – the vice president of the BJP’s Karnataka unit – marks his electoral foray, he will be competing against Congress’ Goni Malatesh.

ಶಿರಾಳಕೊಪ್ಪದಲ್ಲಿಂದು ಅಭಿನಯ ಚಕ್ರವರ್ತಿ ಶ್ರೀ @KicchaSudeep ಅವರು ಹಾಗೂ ಖ್ಯಾತ ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರ ನಟಿ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ತಾರಾ ಅನುರಾಧ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮಾನ್ಯ ನಿಕಟಪೂರ್ವ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ @BSYBJP ಅವರ ಸಮ್ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೃಹತ್ ರೋಡ್ ಶೋ ನಡೆಸಿ ಪ್ರಚಾರ ನಡೆಸಲಾಯಿತು. ನೆರೆದಿದ್ದ ಸಹಸ್ರಾರು ಜನತೆ ಪ್ರಚಂಡ ಗೆಲುವಿನ ಮುನ್ಸೂಚನೆ ನೀಡಿದಂತಿತ್ತು. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/MeSDy4ctgH

— Vijayendra Yeddyurappa (@BYVijayendra) May 8, 2023

In the 2018 Assembly elections, Yediyurappa, who secured 86,983 votes, had defeated Malatesh who polled 51,586 votes, noted PTI.

Congress rebel SP Nagaraja Gowda is contesting as an independent candidate from the seat this time. As per PTI, some in Shikaripura believe that Gowda can give tough competition to Vijayendra. While rumours have also spread in political circles that Congress pitted Malatesh as part of “understanding politics” between the BJP and the Grand Old Party, to make the contest easier for Yediyurappa’s son.

However, Malatesh has denied such speculations, saying he expects a favourable result.

Jagadish Shettar

Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar left the BJP and joined Congress just week ahead of the elections. He has been given a ticket from the Hubballi Dharwad Central constituency, where he will be facing the saffron party’s Mahesh Tenginakai.

Tenginakai is from the same community as Shettar – Banajiga Lingayats. With Shettar as its candidate, the BJP has won Hubballi Dharwad Central seat for six consecutive terms from 1994.

Which of these key players will win and which party will form the next government in the southern state? Well, let’s wait for the D-day to find out.

With inputs from agencies

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