Karnataka bigwigs jump into poll fray on "auspicious day"

State political bigwigs including former Chief Ministers B S Yeddyurappa and H D Kumaraswamy, jumped into the poll fray today, for the May 5 Karnataka Assembly election as the number of nominations filed zoomed past the 1,000 mark.

Fanfare and festive atmosphere were witnessed in several segments as politicians in large numbers chose to file their papers on an "auspicious day,  accompanied by scores of their party workers.

The last day for filing of nominations to the elections to the 224-member Assembly is April 17.

Besides Karnataka Janatha Party supremo Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura) and JDS' Kumaraswamy (Ramanagara), other key leaders who filed their papers included Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara (Koratagere) and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah of the Congress (Varuna).
Kumaraswamy's wife Anita entered the fray from Channapatna, and Kannada actor Pooja Gandhi from Raichur on BSR Congress symbol.

Former Minister B Sriramulu, who floated BSR Congress after quitting the BJP, filed nomination from Bellary Rural.

Rajajinagar constitutuency in the city has attracted considerable attention as former Minister Shobha Karandlaje, a staunch Yeddyurappa loyalist, is taking on sitting MLA and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar. Both filed papers today.
The Ministers in the Jagadish Shettar Cabinet who filed their papers included Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), C T Ravi (Chikmagalur) and Murugesh Nirani (Bilagi).

Bangarappa brothers -- Madhu (JDS) and Kumar (Congress) -- fighting against each other, submitted their papers in Soraba in Shimoga district.

"As per information as of now, the total number of nominations received today is 766, taking the cumulative figure to 1,022", Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told reporters this evening.