BJP candidates for Bangalore South and Bangalore Central constituencies H N Ananth Kumar and P C Mohan, respectively, were among seven contestants to file their nomination papers in Bangalore on Wednesday.
The two sitting MPs came in a procession to the offices of the returning officers to file their papers. The hot weather did not deter the large number of party workers who accompanied the procession.
As Ananth Kumar walked into the office of the returning officer in Jayanagar II Block, along with his wife Tejaswini, his supporters raised slogans hailing their leader.
Mohan’s wife Shyla and son Rithin accompanied him to the Bangalore Central returning officer’s office at the BBMP headquarters. He offered pooja at Kote Venkataramana temple and came in a procession from Bannappa Park. Ananth Kumar was flanked by his aide R Ashoka (MLA from Padmanabhanagar) and V Somanna (MLC), whose support will be crucial to get the Vokkaliga and Lingayat votes, respectively, in the elections. Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, former minister Suresh Kumar and a number of BJP leaders were present when Mohan filed his papers.
With the tagline ‘sixer of development,’ if BJP comes to power, a confident Ananth Kumar attacked Congress candidate Nandan Nilekani, while speaking to the people and the media. “The Congress candidate is embarrassed to feature his party leaders in the campaign. Having been elected five times in a row, I can bank on the charisma of Narendra Modi and Vajpayee,” he said.
Mohan said his work in the last five years will help him sail through this time. Works like providing drinking water facility, construction of toilets, repair of drains, construction of community halls and distribution of free notebooks to poor students have been undertaken using the MP’s local area development fund, he said. Shettar said people, fed up with the corrupt rule of the Congress at the Centre, have decided to get rid of it once and for all.
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