: Political parties in Karnataka Tuesday began the process of selecting candidates for the e November 3 assembly and parliamentary by-polls, with BJP finalising some names and ruling JD(S) and coalition partner Congress in hectic parleys on contestants and seat sharing.
By-polls for three Lok Sabha constituencies- Shimoga, Bellary and Mandya, and two assembly constituencies- Ramanagara and Jamkhandi, will be held on November 3.
The counting of votes will be on November 6.
With the Election Commission facing questions over the need to hold bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats when general elections are due early next year,the EC said its decision was in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
While BJP has finalised the names of candidates for a few seats, discussions are on within Congress andJD(S) on candidate selection and seat sharing between the two parties.
JD(S) sources said Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy met his father and party supremo H D Deve Gowda and secretary general Danish Ali on candidate selection and arrangement with coalition partner, the Congress.
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The BJP, at its state core committee meeting Tuesday, finalized the names of candidates for two parliamentary and one assembly constituency.
Among those whose candidatures were finalised were that of state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra.
"The core committee discussed names of candidates for the three parliamentary and two assembly seats. As ours is a national party, we have recommended names to our central election committee," BJP General Secretary Arvind Limbavali told reporters here after the core committee meeting.
He said the committee recommended the names of B Y Raghavendra and former MP Shanta for Shivamogga and Ballari constituencies. For Jamkhandi assembly segment, former MLA Shrikant Kulkarnis name was recommended, he said.
"For Mandya Lok Sabha constituency and Ramanagara assembly constituency, the state President has been authorised to take a decision looking at political developments in the region.
He will recommend the names for the two constituencies in couple of days, Limbavali added.
The party has also nominated a team of leaders for each of these constituencies as election in-charges.
State Congress leaders today held a series of meetings under the leadership of party general secretary in-charge K C Venugopal with leaders of the three parliamentary and two assembly elections that will go for by-polls.
According to sources, the name of Anand Nyamagouda, the son of MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, whose death necessitated the by-election, will be the candidate for Jamkhandi.
Confirming his candidature, Nyamagouda said he would file his nomination on October 16 in the presence of several state party leaders.
However, the party is yet to finalise the names for the other seats from where it will be contesting.
As local Congress leaders from Ramanagara and Mandya have expressed strong reservation against any decision by the party to give up seats to JD(S) by not fielding candidates, Congress leadership reportedly told party workers that they would take a decision in a couple of days after due deliberations.
Ramanagara assembly constituency and Mandya Lok Sabha constituency were earlier represented by the JD(S).
As Congress too has considerable support base in these two segments, it is likely to be a sticky issue.
Congress sources also said that party national President Rahul Gandhi was likely to visit Bengaluru on October 13.
In a surprise move, a section of JDS leaders in Ramanagara today announced the name of chief minister H D Kumaraswamys wife Anitha as the partys candidate from the constituency and said she would file her nominations on October 11.