Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, his grandson Nikhil, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily were among109 candidates who filed their nominations Monday for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 18.
A total of 148 nominations were received from 109 candidates Monday, poll officials said, adding that cumulative nominations filed so far stood at 231 from 181 candidates.
While Deve Gowda filed his nomination from Tumkur, his grandson and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy filed his papers from the JD(S) bastion of Mandya.
Sadananda Gowda and Moily filed their nominations from their sitting seats of Bangalore North and Chikkaballapura.
Tuesday being the last day for filing nominations for the first phase of polling on April 18, most of the candidates filed their nominations on Monday.
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Deve Gowda filed his nomination from Tumkur as the ruling alliance candidate, but will have to face a rebel candidate from alliance partner Congress.
Defying the electoral arrangement between the coalition partners under which Tumkur was allotted to JD(S), sitting Congress MP S P Muddahanumegowda filed his papers.
He is upset as he is only Congress sitting members of Lok Sabha from the state who have been denied a ticket.
K N Rajanna, another Congress leader and former MLA, also filed his nomination Monday from Tumkur as an independent.
85 year-old Gowda submitted his papers at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Tumkur in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara of Congress and other leaders.
Gowda, who gave Hassan Lok Sabha seat he has been representing to his other grandson Prajwal Revanna, chose Tumkur over Bangalore North seat.
BJP has fielded G S Basavaraj from Tumkur.
Nikhil filed his papers at Mandya, where a large number of party workers had gathered, in what was seen as a show of strength against independent candidate and multi lingual actress Sumalatha.
He filed his nomination in the presence of his uncle and PWD Minister H D Revanna, mother Anitha, an MLA and Minister D K Shivakumar from Congress.
Later addressing the gathering, Kumaraswamy hit out at Sumalatha, who has BJP's support, questioning her contribution to Mandya, while Nikhil vowed to work for the people.
Nikhil's candidacy has been opposed by many,who see it as dynasty politics being imposed on Mandya by the Gowda family, who hail from Hassan, at the cost of loyal party workers.
Many Congress workers, upset over their party's decision to cede the seat to JD(S), have also extended support to Sumalatha, widow of actor turned politician Ambareesh, who had represented Mandya as MP from the grand old party in the past.
Sumalatha was denied a ticket by the Congress, citing coalition compulsions, as JD(S) had a sitting MP there.
If Muddahanumegowda contests from Tumkur as a rebel, it will add to the Congress-JD(S) coalition woes as the alliance is facing backlash at several places, including Mandya and Hassan, with party workers unhappy with the seat arrangements.
For the coalition to emerge as a formidable opposition to BJP and win more number of seats,it is crucial for Congress to transfer its votes to JD(S), and vice-versa, including Mandya.
Among others who filed their nominations Monday were BJP's sitting MPs Prathap Simha (Mysore) and Nalin Kumar Kateel (Dakshina Kannada) and former MLA Bachche Gowda (Chikkaballapura), Muniswamy (Kolar) and A Manju (Hassan).
Manju,who filed his nomination in the presence of state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa had joined BJP, irked over Congress' decision to cede Hassan to its coalition partner JD(S).
He was earlier with BJP before joining Congress and becoming Minister in the previous Siddaramaiah led government and again returning to the saffron party.
Among those from Congress who filed nominations were Dhruvanarayana (Chamarajanagar), Rizwan Arshad (Bangalore Central), Mithun Rai (Dakshina Kannada), B N Chandrappa (Chitradurga), Vijayshankar (Mysore), K H Muniyappa (Kolar).
Pramod Madhwaraj, a former Congress Minister, filed his nomination from Udupi-Chikmagalur on a JD(S) ticket, as per the arrangement between both parties.
Karnataka will go for polls in two phases, 14 constituencies each, on April 18 and 23.
The last date for filing of nominations for the first phase is on March 26. Scrutiny will take place on March 27 and the last date for withdrawal is March 29.
For the second phase polls on April 23, notification will be issued on March 28.
The last date for filing nominations is April 4. Scrutiny will take place on April 5 and the last day for withdrawal is April 8.
Counting of votes and announcement of results for both phases will be on May 23.
While BJP is yet to announce its candidates for Bangalore South and Bangalore Rural for the first phase.
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