The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, March 13, released its second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The list had many surprises, the biggest one being that Mysuru MP Pratap Simha was not given a ticket, and instead, the BJP has chosen Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from the Mysuru royal family for the seat. Pratap wished Yaduveer soon after the list was announced. He also asked supporters to take the BJP’s decision in their stride and said that he owes all his success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In another surprise, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje has been shifted to the Bengaluru North constituency. Former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda who was previously contesting from this seat has been dropped after he announced his retirement from electoral politics. The Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat, which saw campaigns and protests against the incumbent MP by supporters of Pramod Madhwaraj and CT Ravi, has now been given to former Union Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary.
Former BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel too has been dropped from the list. The BJP candidate from the Dakshina Kannada seat will be Captain Brijesh Chowta, one of the organisers of the Bengaluru Kambala.
Dr CN Manjunath, the son in law of JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda will contest on a BJP ticket from Bengaluru Rural. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will contest from Haveri, while former Health Minister Sriramulu will contest from Ballari again. Tejasvi Surya has retained the Bengaluru South seat.
Former MLA V Somanna, who lost to a Congress candidate in the Assembly elections, has been fielded from Tumakuru.