Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Apr 9: 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in northern Karnataka will be going for Lok Sabha poll in second phase. In respect of these constituencies, Monday was the last day for the withdrawal of nominations. Out of 282 nomination papers which were found to be in order, 45 nominations were withdrawn by candidates. In the final count, 237 candidates have remained in the fray, and they will be slogging it out in effort to secure berths in the Lok Sabha.
The 14 constituencies to vote in the second phase are Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur (SC), Gulbarga (SC), Raichur (ST), Bidar, Koppal, Bellary (ST), Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere and Shimoga.
In almost all these cases, major confrontation will be between the candidates fielded by the BJP and the Congress-JD(S) combine. Belagavi with 57 candidates has emerged as the constituency with highest candidates whereas Raichur, where only five candidates will test their fortunes, is the constituency with least contenders. Chikkodi with 11 candidates, Bagalkot with 14, Vijayapura with 12, Kalaburagi with 12, Koppal with 14, Ballari with 11, Haveri with 10, Uttara Kannada with 13, and Shivamogga with 12 happen to be constituencies with comparatively less number of candidates. Davanagere has 25 candidates, Dharwad has 19, and Bidar constituency has 22 candidates.
Prominent Congress leaders, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ishwar Khandre and V S Ugrappa would be testing their popularity in the second phase. Eminent BJP leaders who have been fielded in the constituencies going to poll in the second phase are union ministers, Ramesh Jigajiganagi and Anant Kumar Hegde, as well as Umesh Jadhav, who changed his loyalties to the saffron party at the last minute and has been pitted opposite Mallikarjun Kharge.
Of the total candidates, 223 are males and 14 females.
In the first phase of polling on April 18, 241 candidates are in the fray from 14 parliamentary seats in the central and southern regions of the state.
The 14 constituencies to vote in the first phase are Udupi-Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga (SC), Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajnagar (SC), Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkaballapur and Kolar (SC).
Vote count in all 28 seats is on May 23.