Sarvodaya K’taka Party to contest Assembly polls

The Sarvodaya Karnataka Party (SKP), founded by noted Dalit writer Devanur Mahadeva, has decided to revive itself by contesting in the 2023 Assembly election.

The SKP had earlier merged with Swaraj India.

On Monday, the SKP announced five candidates who will contest the Assembly election on its ticket. This includes Darshan Puttannaiah, the son of late farmer leader KS Puttannaiah, from the Melkote constituency that his father had represented.

Madhuchandan SC from Mandya, Manusomaiah from Virajpet, Aditya Kollaje from Belthangady and Shaila Natak from Bilgi constituencies are the other SKP candidates.

Addressing a press conference, SKP state president Chamarasa Mali Patil said 53 candidates have shown interest to contest from the party’s ticket. "More than 70% of these aspirants are youngsters and seven are women," he added.

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Badagalapura Nagendra said the SKP was formed after farmers unions decided to contest elections to emerge as a political alternate force in the state in 2005.

"With Swaraj India deciding not contest polls till 2024, the SKP decided revive itself in the state to fight for the cause of forming a political alternative in the state," he explained.