A total of 22 candidates have filed nominations for the August 21 by-elections to three assembly seats in Karnataka.
Four persons have filed their nominations for by-elections to Bellary, five for Chikkodi-Sadalga and 13 for Shikaripura, Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told PTI.
Today was the last day for the filing of nominations where by-elections are being held after sitting MLAs B S Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura), Prakash Hukkeri (Chikkodi-Sadalga) and B Sriramulu (Bellary) vacated them, consequent to their election to Lok Sabha.
In this by-election, straight contest is likely to be between BJP and ruling Congress as Janata Dal Secular has decided against fielding candidates citing funds crunch.
BJP has fielded B Y Raghavendra (Shikaripura), Mahantesh Kavatagimath (Chikkodi-Sadalga) and Oblesh (Bellary) as its candidates, while Congress has fielded Ganesh Prakash Hukkeri (Chikkodi-Sadalga), N Y Gopalakrishna (Bellary) and H S Shanthaveerappa Gowda (Shikaripura).
August 6 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature, and counting of votes will be on August 25.
The by-elections is tagged as another litmus test for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his government, after the unimpressive show of the ruling Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in which it could notch up only nine out of the 28 seats. BJP had won 17 seats and JDS two.
