Bopaiah, Cong rebel candidates file nomination

Sitting MLA and BJP candidate K G Bopaiah, Congress rebel candidates State Forest Development Corporation Vice President M Padmini Ponnappa, District In-charge minister’s personal secretary K Harish Bopanna and Independent candidates P S Mutha, A Girish and Fayaz filed their nominations on Tuesday.

Congress official candidate Arun Machaiah had filed his nomination on Monday.

MLA K G Bopaiah took out a procession in Virajpet before filing the nomination. Madikeri MLA Appacchu Ranjan, MLC Sunil Subramani and others were present.

Speaking to reporters, Padmini Ponnappa said that she was a ticket aspirant from Congress for the last two assembly elections. "I was denied the ticket. All my wish to serve the people of the constituency could not be fulfilled. Hence, I am contesting as an Independent candidate and confident of voters supporting me.”

Another Congress aspirant Harish Bopanna, who also filed his nomination said, “I was an aspirant. However, the party High Command and Chief Minister did not speak to me for courtesy. If Chief Minister had promised on the formation of Ponnampete taluk and a special package of Rs 50 crore to the district, then I would not have filed the nomination.”

Bopaiah's assets

In his affidavit, Bopaiah said that he owns assets worth Rs 3.31 crore. He owns agricultural land worth Rs 75 lakh, a car worth Rs 20 lakh, gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 23,69,600, a site in Bengaluru worth Rs 1.80 crore and 40 cents land in Madikeri. His wife has Rs 50,000 cash in hand and has a Vijaya Bank share worth Rs 5,000. She also has two cars and gold ornaments of 500 gms.