Karnataka polls: Congress 2nd list of candidates out, turncoats get tickets

New Delhi: The All India Congress Committee (AICC), after multiple rounds of deliberations & parleys in national capital, released its second list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly elections, slated for May 10.

The party has taken a conscious decision to accommodate turncoats, with potential to sway elections in their favour while also chose to pick fresh faces in some constituencies with ‘abundance of youth votes’.

Among the turncoat candidates that got Congress ticket to fight elections include NY Gopalakrishna, Baburao Chinchasur, SR Srinivas and VS Patil. All of them, with prior association to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (S) jumped ship to Congress for ‘better poll prospects’.

Baburao Chinchasur is a veteran politician in state politics & commands strong voters base. He is a former BJP MLC and recently quit the saffron party. He was instrumental in ensuring defeat of Mallikarjun Kharge in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Among the noted nominees, former education minister Kimmane Ratnakar will contest from Tirthalli constituency while Iqbal Ansari has been given ticket from Gangawati seat. Ansari had voice support for Siddaramaiah as Cong’s chief ministerial candidate.

Cong 1st list of 124 candidates

Last month, the party had released its first list, comprising of 124 candidates. In the first list, the party sought to settle the internal party squabble by allocating seats to two of its most prominent face. Former Congerss CM Siddaramaiah was allotted Varuna seat while Pradesh Congress Committee chief DK Shivakumar was fielded from Kanakapura constituency.

Does Congress have edge over rivals?

Karnataka elections is ready for triangular contest with BJP, Congress & JD(S) being biggest stakeholders in Assembly elections.

Congress is the first party to release its list of candidates. Its political ambitions got buoyed by some noted poll surveys which forecasted dislodging of Bommai govt & return of the grand old party to power in the state.

Assembly elections in Karnataka are slated to be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.