The ruling Congress, the BJP and the JD (S) claim to have struck upon a ‘winning formula’ for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly Elections. With all three parties releasing their list of candidates, this ‘winning formula’ appears to be handing out to tickets to many in the same family.
The Congress, which is often criticised for encouraging dynastic politics, has not shied away from giving tickets to second generation leaders. With Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda quick to mock the rival’s candidates’ list, terming it as the party’s ‘legacy’, the Congress defended its decision, saying those who made the cut are purely based on the person’s credentials.
The ruling party in Karnataka says that out of the 50 applicants – who played the family card – only a few made it to its final list. Congress’ 2018 list has 5 sets of father-son/daughter candidates, with four debutants in the race.
The Congress’ list comprises of:
Besides the above, the grand old party has also fielded Kolar MP KH Muniyappa’s daughter Roopa Shashikar from Kolar Gold Field. She is making her electoral debut.
Sitting Minister for IT, BT and Tourism, Priyank Kharge, who is the son of Congress veteran and the Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, is the party’s natural choice from Chittapur.
And while the BJP has attacked the Congress for concentrating powers in the hands of a few family, the saffron party is not far behind. The BJP’s list includes a couple, who are contesting from neighbouring constituencies.
While sitting MLA Shashikala Jolle got a BJP ticket to contest from Nippani, her husband Annasaheb will be standing from Chikkodi-Sadalaga.
Interestingly the BJP has fielded Kumar Bangarappa, who defected from the Congress, to take on his younger brother Madhu, JD (S)’s sitting MLA from Sorab, Shimoga.
S Bangarappa their father, a former Chief Minister was known to be a serial defector.
The BJP also fielded former minister and mining scam accused Janardhan Reddy’s brother Somashekara from Bellary City.
Meanwhile, the JD(S) has fielded Chief Ministerial aspirant HD Kumaraswamy from Ramnagara and Sakleshpur and his brother HD Revanna from Holenarasipura. In the 2013 Assembly Elections, Anita Kumaraswamy and Bhavani Revanna, spouses of Kumaraswamy and Revanna had failed to emerge victorious.
To avoid being labelled as a one-family party, JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has insisted that no one besides his sons Kumaraswamy and Revanna be given tickets. Prajwal, son of Revanna, who was eager to contest this time around has reportedly been asked to wait for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.