K'taka Assembly bypolls: BJP names candidates for 2 seats

The opposition JD(S) announced V Krishnamurthy as its candidate for the RR Nagar seat in the city. Dr Rajesh Gowda and N Munirathna would be the BJP candidates for the November 3 bypolls to Sira in Tumakuru district and RR Nagar constituencies respectively, party national general secretary Arun Singh said in a release.

The ruling BJP on Tuesday named its candidates for the coming by-elections to the Sira and Rajarajeshwari (RR) Nagar Assembly constituencies in Karnataka. The opposition JD(S) announced V Krishnamurthy as its candidate for the RR Nagar seat in the city.

Dr Rajesh Gowda and N Munirathna would be the BJP candidates for the November 3 bypolls to Sira in Tumakuru district and RR Nagar constituencies respectively, party national general secretary Arun Singh said in a release. Gowda is the son of former Congress MP C P Mudalagiriyappa, who had represented the Chitradurga Lok Sabha constituency.

Barely 10 days ago Gowda, a radiologist by profession, was inducted into the BJP giving rise to speculation that he would be fielded from Sira. Munirathna, on the other hand, had been a Congress MLA twice from RR Nagar since 2013 until he resigned from the assembly last year along with 16 other MLAs of Congress and the JD(S), which helped install the BJP government in the state.

Later he joined the saffron party. It was Munirathna's resignation, which necessitated the RR Nagar bypoll.

Meanwhile, Krishnamurthy who has been chosen to contest from RR Nagar is a leader from the Jnananbharathi ward, JD(S) sources said. "Three probables whom we had shortlisted, held discussions, ultimately they have decided on the name of Krishnamurthy. His father was a loyal party worker, Krishnamurthy is following in his footsteps. Tomorrow probably he will file nomination around 10:30 am," JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy told reporters.

JD(S) had earlier shortlisted three probables -- party city unit chief R Praksah, RR Nagar President Bettaswamy Gowda and Krishnamurthy. Kumaraswamy said it will be a three-cornered contest between the Congress, BJP and JD(S) in RR Nagar.

Responding to a question that BJP has fielded his friend Munirathna from RR Nagar, he said, "both of us have come from the film world. We may have friendship in the film world, but not in politics. There is no need for people of the constituency to pay heed for any speculations." JD(S) Bengaluru city unit President R Prakash in a release said, Krishnamurthy will be filing his nomination on Wednesday in the presence of former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy. The byelections has been necessitated for Sira following the death JD(S) legislator B Sathyanarayana in August; while the Rajarajeshwari Nagar ( R R Nagar) seat fell vacant following the disqualification of then Congress MLA N Munirathna under the anti defection law last year.

The Congress has fielded Kusuma H, wife of IAS officer DK Ravi, who died in March 2015, as its candidate from R R Nagar With an eye on garnering sympathy votes, the JD(S) has fielded Ammajamma, wife of late Sathyanarayana as the candidate from Sira, where she is pitted against former Minister T B Jayachandra of the Congress, who had represented the seat in the past, and radiologist Dr C M Rajesh Gowda from BJP. With both constituencies having considerable presence of the Vokkaliga community, the party's strong vote base, JD (S) is keen on winning both the seats, especially on retaining Sira.