JD(S) releases first list of 93 candidates for 2023 Karnataka polls; GT Devegowda, Bandeppa make cut

Bengaluru, Dec 19: The Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday released the first list of its 93 candidates for the 2023 Assembly election in Karnataka, due by May next year.

The list has nominees from almost all the districts of Karnataka right from Khanapur in Belagavi in north Karnataka to Hanur in Chamarajanagar district of the southern part of the state. The full list is as follows:

Former Chief Minister and JD(S) floor leader in the assembly H D Kumaraswamy will contest from Channapatna while his son Nikhil has got a ticket from Ramanagara constituency. Earlier, Nikhil's mother Anitha Kumaraswamy, who is the MLA of Channapatna, had announced the same at the regional party's Pancha Ratna Yatra in Ramanagara. Nikhil, an actor-turned-politician, is currently the Yuva Janata Dal president and had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Mandya where he was defeated against BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh. It is to be noted that HD Kumaraswamy became Chief Minister twice when he was representing Ramanagara.

Ramanagara, known for its silk, is considered to be the Vokkaliga heartland where the JD(S) and Congress are arch-rivals.

Meanwhile, the party has also given a ticket to GT Devegowda, who was seriously considering quitting the party, from Chamundeshwari assembly constituencies in Mysuru, and his son Harish Gowda will contest from Hunsur constituency. Sa Ra Mahesh has got a ticket from KR Nagar and DC Thammanna from Maddur.

In place of sacked JD-S MLAs from Gubbi and Kolar, JD-S has given tickets to Nagaraj and CMR Shrinath respectively. JD(S) Deputy Leader in the assembly Bandeppa Kashempur is contesting from his Bidar South seat.

The list was released after taking consent from former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, party state president C M Ibrahim said. The party will release the list of remaining 131 candidates in the coming days, JD (S) sources told news agency PTI. The Karnataka Assembly has a total strength of 224 MLAs.