Interview Times Karnataka Assembly Election 2023, News Live Updates (April 21): Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah will embark on a two-day visit to Karnataka today, and is set to take out a roadshow in Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The BJP leader will also take stock of the party’s preparations for the May 10 Assembly elections in the state.
Meanwhile yesterday, BJP MLC A H Vishwanath announced that he will join Congress. “Today I am joining Congress. There are political reasons, due to which I am leaving BJP and joining Congress,” he said while talking to the media. This came days after former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar jumped ship from BJP to Congress.
Both the Congress and the BJP have released their final list of candidates for the May-10 Assembly elections in the state. According to its sixth (final) list, the Congress fielded Mohammed Shalam from Raichur constituency, B V Rajeev Gowda from Sidlaghatta, S. Anand Kumar from C V Raman Nagar (which is an SC seat), H P Sridhar Gowda from Arkalgud and Inayath Ali from Mangalore City North.
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KPCC president DK Shivakumar’s nomination was accepted at Kanakapura. His brother and MP, D K Suresh had filed nomination papers from the segment yesterday, fearing that Shivakumar’s papers will be rejected.
BRS to support JD(S) in Karnataka Assembly polls
The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is extending support to the JD(S) in Karnataka Assembly elections and it chose not to field any candidate in the May 10 polls as its friendly party is in the fray.
The BRS, previously TRS, renamed itself in December last year to make a foray into national politics and it had toyed with the idea of contesting Karnataka elections.
However, it chose not to field candidates in the Assembly polls as JD(S) is its friend and also because it lacked adequate time to plan for fielding nominees in the elections, BRS sources said on Friday.
The party was not in favour of contesting the elections without adequate preparation and planning, the sources said, pointing out the efforts being made by BRS to gain a foothold in neighbouring Maharashtra.
82 candidates file nominations in Dakshina Kannada district
A total of 35 candidates filed their nominations for the eight Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada district on the last day of the nomination process in poll-bound Karnataka, officials said.
In all, 82 candidates have filed nominations for the eight constituencies in the coastal district from April 13 to April 20. The scrutiny of nominations will be held on Friday and candidates can withdraw their nominations till Monday. (PTI)
