The Election Commission is set to receive nominations from Friday for the 14 Lok Sabha segments in Karnataka - from Chikkodi in the north to Shimoga in central region - going to the polls in Phase 3.
Candidates will have time till April 19 to file nominations while the last date for withdrawing the candidature is April 22. Parties are faced with the task of pacifying the sulking leaders, especially those who have promised to contest as Independent
candidates.
The 14 segments with 2.6 crore electors going to the polls on May 7 are: Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur (SC), Gulbarga (SC), Raichur (ST), Bidar, Koppal, Bellary (ST), Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shimoga.
Besides Eshwarappa’s open rebellion in Shivamogga, a seer’s challenge to contest against Pralhad Joshi in Dharwad has come as a major challenge for the BJP. The party has spent the last few days dousing rebel fire in Belagavi and Chitradurga.
The Congress is facing challenges from Davangere ticket aspirant G B Vinaykumar’s threat to contest as an Independent candidate and Bagalkot’s sulking leader Veena Kashappanavar.
Shorapur bypoll
The schedule for byelection in Shorapur Assembly segment will also begin on Friday with similar deadlines for submission of nomination and withdrawal of candidature. The vacancy was caused by the death of Congress MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik. The Congress has named his son Raja Venugopal Naik as its candidate against the BJP’s Narasimha Naik (Raju Gowda).
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