Lok Sabha polls: BJP replaces nine MPs in first list of Karnataka candidates

The BJP on Wednesday announced candidates for 20 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, which includes Mysuru royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysuru and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai from Haveri.

The party has replaced nine sitting MPs, including former chief minister D.V. Sadanada Gowda from Bangalore North, Pratap Simha from Mysuru and former state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel from Dakshina Kannada.

Union minister of state Shobha Karandlaje, who was facing some resistance in her re-nomination bid within the party from Udupi-Chikmagalur, has been shifted to Bangalore North, which is currently represented by Sadananda Gowda.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, who is currently the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council, will now contest from Udupi-Chikmagalur. In Bellary, the party has fielded ST community leader and former minister B. Sriramulu.

Noted cardiac surgeon and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda's son-in-law Dr C.N. Manjunath has been fielded from Bangalore Rural, where he will face sitting Congress MP and deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar's brother D.K. Suresh.

Those who have retained their candidature include Annasaheb Jolle (Chikkodi), P.C. Gaddigoudar (Bagalkot), Ramesh Jigajinagi (Bijapur), Umesh Jadhav (Gulbarga), Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad), B.Y. Raghavendra (Shimoga), P.C. Mohan (Bangalore Central) and Tejasvi Surya (Bangalore South).

Former minister V. Somonna has been given a ticket from Tumkur, which was represented by G.S. Basavaraj, and in Davangere segment, sitting MP G.M. Siddeshwara has been replaced by his wife Gayathri Siddeshwara.

Dr Basavaraj Kyavator has got the ticket in Koppal replacing Karadi Sanganna, Sriramulu in Bellary in place of Y. Devendrappa, Bommai in Haveri in place of Shivakumar Udasi, Brijesh Chowta in Dakshina Kannada replacing Kateel, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar in Mysuru in the place of Prathap Simha and S. Balaraj in Chamarajanagar instead of Srinivas Prasad.

Chamarajanagar MP V. Srinivas Prasad and Haveri MP Shivakumar Udasi had already announced their political retirement once the current term ends. The BJP swept the 2019 general elections, bagging 25 of the total 28 seats in the state, while an independent backed by the party also emerged victorious.