New Delhi [India], April 11 Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday declared 189 candidates for Karnataka assembly polls as it sought to strike a balance in terms of representation of various castes and communities while putting up "strong candidates" against senior Congress leaders.
Apart from fresh faces, the BJP has also focused on "social engineering" in its first list of candidates, party sources said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will recontest from the Shiggaon constituency.
The list has 52 fresh faces and 20 sitting MLAs have been dropped, party sources said.
The polling will take place for 224 seats in the state assembly on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.
With the party seen to have strong support among Lingayats, it has decided to give tickets to 51 members from the community. The list includes 32 candidates from the OBC community, 30 belonging to the Scheduled Castes and 16 to Scheduled Tribes. The list has eight women candidates. It has former IAS and IPS officers, five advocates, nine doctors, three academicians, former government employees and social activists.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who is BJP's co-incharge for Karnataka, said the list is a blend of dynamic new faces and experienced leaders.
"I am confident they will work together to boost Karnataka's growth journey. With the double-engine government, Karnataka will touch new heights of development, progress and prosperity," he said in a tweet
The minister said every section of society, including marginalised, women and youth has been given opportunity.
"Glad to see BJP's list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly elections. Following PM @NarendraModi Ji's mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas', every section of society, including marginalised, women & youth has been given opportunity. Best wishes!" he added.
The list does not have any candidate from the Muslim community.
Party sources said that candidates for the remaining 35 seats will be finalised by Wednesday afternoon.
Among the prominent candidates declared by the party, BY Vijayendra, son of former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, will contest from the Shikaripura seat.
The BJP has fielded Mkanta Rathod, a 28-year-old youth against Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge from Chittapur.
State Minister B Sriramulu will contest from Bellary Rural, State Health Minister Dr Sudhakar K from Chikkaballapur and State Minister Dr Ashwathnarayan CN from Malleshwaram seat.
State Minister R Ashoka will contest from two seats- Padmanabhanagar and Kanakapura. He is pitted against Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar in Kanakapura.
BJP general secretary CT Ravi will contest from Chikmagalur.
V Somanna to will contest against Congress leader Siddaramaiah from Varuna seat. V Somanna will also contest from Chamarajanagar seat.
The BJP's strategy also seems to exert pressure on senior state Congress leaders in their constituencies.
The candidates were announced at a press conference here addressed by union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is the party's poll incharge in Karnataka and party general secretary Arun Singh.
Arun Singh said BJP's graph is growing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said Congress is facing "divisions and groupism" while JD-S is "sinking ship".
BJP leaders said that the party has done an elaborate exercise of feedback before deciding party candidates and expressed confidence of the party returning to power in the southern state.
Congress has already declared 166 candidates in two lists.
Earlier in the day, senior BJP MLA KS Eshwarappa announced his retirement from electoral politics.
In 2018, BJP emerged as the largest single party in the last Assembly elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress winning 80 and the JD(S) 37 seats.
The term of the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly will end on May 24.
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