Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, and Jagadish Shettar who recently quit the BJP were among the prominent figures who filed their nominations for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka on Wednesday.
With just a day left for formally entering the poll fray, and as tomorrow happens to be 'Amavasya', which is considered inauspicious by certain sections of people, most of the candidates filed their papers today. All the candidates were accompanied by large numbers of supporters, beating drums, waving party flags and shouting slogans.
Bommai filed his nomination from his traditional seat of Shiggaon in Haveri district. He was accompanied by BJP national president J P Nadda and Kannada film star Sudeep.
Earlier in the day he visited temples, and also held a massive road show as well as addressed a public meeting along with Nadda and Sudeep in Shiggaon.
Bommai is seeking re-election from Shiggaon, from where he has been an MLA three times since 2008. He had already filed one set of nominations during an "auspicious muhurat" on April 15.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah filed his nomination from Varuna. He reiterated that this would be his last election.
Earlier he visited temples, held a massive roadshow and addressed a public rally.
His son Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting Congress MLA from Varuna. Siddaramaiah, a 75-year-old eight-time MLA, had earlier won twice from Varuna, gone on to become the Leader of Opposition after winning from here in 2008, and then became Chief Minister after the 2013 Assembly polls.
Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently joined the Congress, quitting the BJP over being passed over for a ticket from Hubballi-Dharwad-Central, today filed papers from the constituency. He was accompanied by senior Congress leaders M B Patil and R V Deshpande.
His opponent and BJP State general secretary Mahesh Tenginkai also filed his nomination today.
In the Shikaripura seat in Shivamogga district vacated by state BJP strongman and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, his son and state BJP vice president B Y Vijayendra filed his nomination today.
Vijayendra accompanied by Yediyurappa held a road show and addressed a public meeting before filing his papers. He had earlier filed a set of nominations on April 17.
Senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara filed his papers from his traditional seat of Koratagere in Tumakuru district, after holding a road show accompanied by a large number of supporters.
Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner and BJP candidate from Chamarajpet Bhaskar Rao too filed his nomination, accompanied by party national General Secretary Arun Singh.
Among several others who filed their nominations today include BJP's Ministers V Sunil Kumar (Karkala) and V Somanna (Chamarajanagar); MLA S R Vishwanath (Yelahanka); Congress' Priya Krishna (Govindarajanagar), and Raghunath Naidu (Padmanabhanagar).
Congress' Pulakeshinagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, on being overlooked for the seat today filed his papers as an independent candidate.
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