Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 4: Bypolls to Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency, Maski assembly seat in Raichur district and Basavakalyan in Bidar district are being held, and the electioneering is gaining momentum. A total of 30 candidates have remained in the fray in these constituencies, including those representing the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) and 14 independents.

Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing a tough contest with Mangala Suresh Angadi, widow of former union minister, Suresh Angadi, whose death necessitated this bypoll, and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president, Satish Jarkiholi, are fighting for supremacy. Initially 18 had filed their nominations, and eight withdrew on the last day for withdrawal of nominations on Saturday. The election commission said that ten have remained in the fray.

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Bypoll to Maski assembly assembly constituency is held on account of the resignation of Congress MLA, Pratap Gowda Patil, who is now fighting the election as a BJP candidate. The Congress has fielded Basanagouda Turuvinahal. Out of ten who filed nomination papers, independents, Siddalingappa and Chakravarthi Nayak, have withdrawn, leaving eight candidates in contention.

Basavakalyan assembly constituency in Bidar district has fallen vacant due to the demise of Congress MLA, B Narayana Rao. Narayana Rao's wife, Mala Narayana Rao, Sharanabasappa Salagar of the BJP and Syed Yasrab Ali Qadri of the JD(S) are the main candidates in the fray. Out of 14 who filed nomination, two have withdrawn, leaving 12 to fight the election.

BJP is keen on retaining its stronghold on Belagavi constituency while the Congress does not want to lose its grip on Maski and Basavakalyan constituencies. The leaders of both these parties are campaigning actively in spite of sweltering heat.

The election will be held on April 17. Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy apart from KPCC president, D K Shivakumar, BJP state president, Nalin Kumar Kateel and other ministers and office bearers are involved in a high profile campaigning in favour of their respective candidates.