Karnataka Assembly Bypolls: BJP fields 13 disqualified MLAs

 Hours after 15 out of 17 rebel Karnataka MLAs of Congress and JD(S) joined Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), the saffron party on Thursday fielded 13 of them in the upcoming assembly bypolls.

As per a press release issued by the BJP, the central election committee of the party has decided the names who joined the party earlier in the day.

The BJP has fielded Mahesh Kumatalli from Athani, Srimanthagouda Patil from Kagwad, Ramesh Jarakiholi from Gokak seat and Srivaram Hebbar from Yellapur.

Similarly, the party has named BC Patil for Hererarur assembly seat, Anand Sudharkar for Chikkaballapur seat and B Basavaraj from RK Pura seat.

The saffron party has also filed TS Somashekar from Yeshvanrhapura, K Gopaliah from Mahalakshmi Layout, TB Nagaraj from Hosakote, KC Narayanagwda from Krishnarajpet and H Vishwanth from Hunsur seat.

Earlier in the day, 15 Congress and JD(S) MLAs formally joined the BJP in the presence of CM BSYediyurappa and State unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel. After the MLAs joined the party Yediyurappa expressed confidence wining the ensuing polls and said that BJP will win all the constituencies.

The Supreme Court on November 13, upheld the then Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s decision disqualifying 17 MLAs, but allowed them to contest polls.

Karnataka will go to the by-polls on December 5.

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