NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: The BJP’s CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa, his bête noire KS Eshwarappa, Ballari strongman BS Sriramulu and party-hopper Mallikayya Guttedar are some of the names cleared by the BJP in its first list of 72 candidates for the May 12 elections.

Party leader JP Nadda released the list on Sunday night. Those who joined the BJP in the past month have been given tickets.

The names of Mallikayya Guttedar (Afzalpur) and AS Patil Nadahalli (Muddebihal), who were in the Congress, and Mallikarjun Khuba (Basavakalyan) and Manappa Vajjal (Lingasugur), from the JD(S), were prominent in the list of candidates.

Yeddyurappa will contest from his fief Shikaripura, KS Eshwarappa from Shivamogga City, CT Ravi from Chikkamagaluru, Jagadish Shettar from Hubballi-Dharwad Central, Prabhu Chauhan from Aurad and Guru Patil from Shahapur.

Most sitting MLAs from Bengaluru and neighbouring districts have been renominated. Former deputy CM R Ashoka has been given ticket from Padmanabhanagar; Ravi Subrahmanya from Basavanagudi; and Aravind Limbavali from Mahadevapura.

