<p>The stage is set for the big battle in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 17. The contest promises to be a triangular fight among the ruling Congress, the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) in several of the 28 constituencies.<br /><br /></p>.<p>While the Congress and the BJP have fielded candidates in all the constituencies, the JD(S) has put up its nominees in 25 seats.<br /><br />Surprisingly, former minister Shivananda Naik, who should have been the JD (S) nominee from Uttara Kannada seat, withdrew from the fray. <br /><br />His move paved the way for a direct contest between sitting MP Ananth Kumar Hegde of the BJP and first time contestant Prashanth Deshpande, son of Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande, of the Congress.<br /><br />After the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended at 3 pm on Saturday, in all, 435 candidates remained in the fray with 109 candidates withdrawing their nominations. New entrant, the Aam Aadmi Party, has fielded candidates from all the 28 constituencies.<br /><br />The ruling Congress has fielded several veterans such as former chief minister Dharam Singh from Bidar, Union Ministers Mallikarjun Kharge from Gulbarga, M Veerappa Moily from Chikkaballapur and K H Muniyappa from Kolar constituencies. A reluctant entrant is Sugar Minister Prakash Hukkeri from Chikkodi. <br /><br />The Congress has also fielded a political greenhorn - with no electoral past by way of personal experience or lineage - Nandan Nilekani from Bangalore South constituency. He has locked horns with BJP national secretary and sitting MP Ananth Kumar. <br /><br />The BJP has fielded heavyweights in the form of two former chief ministers, D V Sadananda Gowda from Bangalore North and B S Yeddyurappa from Shimoga. <br /><br />The party has also fielded State president Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad and B Sreeramalu, close associate of the jailed Janardhan Reddy, from Bellary.<br /><br />The JD(S) has the unique distinction of fielding a former prime minister and a former chief minister - the father-son duo H D Deve Gowda from his home turf Hassan and H D Kumaraswamy, who is trying his luck from Chikkaballapur. <br /><br />The party has also fielded its State president A Krishnappa from Tumkur and former chief minister S Bangarappa’s daughter Geetha Shivarajkumar from Shimoga. The elections will see several kin of politicians also trying it out to get elected to the 16th Lok Sabha. <br /><br />The Congress nominees include DK Suresh, brother of Energy Minister DK Shivakumar, from Bangalore Rural. The JD(S) has fielded the late former chief minister J H Patel’s son, Mahima Patel, from Davangere.</p>
<p>The stage is set for the big battle in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 17. The contest promises to be a triangular fight among the ruling Congress, the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) in several of the 28 constituencies.<br /><br /></p>.<p>While the Congress and the BJP have fielded candidates in all the constituencies, the JD(S) has put up its nominees in 25 seats.<br /><br />Surprisingly, former minister Shivananda Naik, who should have been the JD (S) nominee from Uttara Kannada seat, withdrew from the fray. <br /><br />His move paved the way for a direct contest between sitting MP Ananth Kumar Hegde of the BJP and first time contestant Prashanth Deshpande, son of Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande, of the Congress.<br /><br />After the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended at 3 pm on Saturday, in all, 435 candidates remained in the fray with 109 candidates withdrawing their nominations. New entrant, the Aam Aadmi Party, has fielded candidates from all the 28 constituencies.<br /><br />The ruling Congress has fielded several veterans such as former chief minister Dharam Singh from Bidar, Union Ministers Mallikarjun Kharge from Gulbarga, M Veerappa Moily from Chikkaballapur and K H Muniyappa from Kolar constituencies. A reluctant entrant is Sugar Minister Prakash Hukkeri from Chikkodi. <br /><br />The Congress has also fielded a political greenhorn - with no electoral past by way of personal experience or lineage - Nandan Nilekani from Bangalore South constituency. He has locked horns with BJP national secretary and sitting MP Ananth Kumar. <br /><br />The BJP has fielded heavyweights in the form of two former chief ministers, D V Sadananda Gowda from Bangalore North and B S Yeddyurappa from Shimoga. <br /><br />The party has also fielded State president Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad and B Sreeramalu, close associate of the jailed Janardhan Reddy, from Bellary.<br /><br />The JD(S) has the unique distinction of fielding a former prime minister and a former chief minister - the father-son duo H D Deve Gowda from his home turf Hassan and H D Kumaraswamy, who is trying his luck from Chikkaballapur. <br /><br />The party has also fielded its State president A Krishnappa from Tumkur and former chief minister S Bangarappa’s daughter Geetha Shivarajkumar from Shimoga. The elections will see several kin of politicians also trying it out to get elected to the 16th Lok Sabha. <br /><br />The Congress nominees include DK Suresh, brother of Energy Minister DK Shivakumar, from Bangalore Rural. The JD(S) has fielded the late former chief minister J H Patel’s son, Mahima Patel, from Davangere.</p>
