BJP’s second list out: Mining baron Janardhan Reddy’s brother Somashekara gets ticket

Many BS Yeddyurappa loyalist made the cut including Halappa and Krishnaiah.

Karnataka Elections Karnataka 2018

The BJP’s Central Election Committee released its second list of candidates on Monday afternoon.

The highlight in this list of 82 names certainly has to be the inclusion of Somashekara Reddy, brother of the mining scam tainted Janardhan Reddy, who has got the ticket from Bellary City seat.

Though BJP President Amit Shah said that the BJP has nothing to do with Janardhan Reddy, the party will be using the might of the Reddy brothers to win seats in Ballari.

The first list of 72 seats which was released on April 8 had given ticket to Sriramulu, MP from Ballari district and close aide of the Reddy brothers from a constituency in Chikamangaluru.

Of the 154 candidates announced, there are no Muslims or Christians, the party has to announce another 70 seats.

No women feature in the second list, while only three women were named in the first list of 72 seats.

The constituency in Shivamogga will see two brothers contesting against each other as Kumar Bangarappa from the BJP will take on his brother Madhu Bangarappa of the JD(S).

The candidate for Chamundeshwari seat from where CM Siddaramaiah will contest has been unannounced. The Varuna constituency which will see his son Yathindra contesting his first election has also been left unannounced. The BJP is set to give the Varuna seat to BS Yeddyurappa’s sonVijayendra.

Similar to the Congress list which had names of many Siddaramaiah loyalists, this BJP list has names of many Yeddyurappa backers.

Hartal Halappa, a close associate of Yeddyurappa, who was acquitted in a case of rape will contest from Sagar constituency in Shivamogga district. SN Krishaniah Setty, who was a co-accused in the mining case against Yeddyurappa has been given the Malur seat. The two were acquitted in the case in October 2016.

Katta Subramanya Naidu is set to get the ticket from Shivajinagar while K Vasudeva Murthy who was with the JD(S) in 2013 has got the ticket from Shantinagar.