The Janata Dal(S) on Monday cleared its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls giving an option to former chief minister S Bangarappa’s family to field either Geetha Shivarajkumar or sitting MLA Madhu Bangarappa to contest from Shimoga.
In case Bangarappa’s family decides to field Geetha, wife of cine star Shivarajkumar, she would be the first woman member of either Bangarappa or late cine star Rajkumar’s family to enter politics.
Madhu Bangarappa is the head of the youth wing of the party. He won from the Soraba Assembly constituency in the 2013 polls. The BJP has announced that former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will contest from Shimoga.
The Congress is yet to finalise its candidate. State JD(S) president A Krishnappa said: “We recommended two names for Shimoga as requested by the Bangarappa family. In all probability, Geetha will be the candidate.”
The party’s parliamentary board also cleared the names of Krishnappa (Tumkur), former ministers Bandeppa Kashempur (Bidar) and Goolihatti Shekar (Chitradurga). Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda will be contesting from his home turf of Hassan.
Two other former ministers who figure in the list for the first time are: Raja Amareshwara Naik (Raichur) and M Shivanna (Chamarajanagar).
The new entrants include K Keshav (Kolar), Ravi Menasinakai (Haveri). Keshav, a native of Malur is into the real estate business. The party has given Patil brothers–Uttam and Srimanth–to decide between themselves on who should contest from Chikkodi constituency.
Bangalore Rural candidate Prabhakar Reddy, a realtor, had unsuccessfully contested the 2013 Assembly elections.
According to sources, the second list will be released on March 12. In all probability, the party might ask Anita Kumaraswamy, wife of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, to contest from Chikkaballapur.
The party is yet to decide whether to field sitting MLAs Sa Ra Mahesh or G T Deve Gowda from the Mysore seat.
