Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is among the 52 candidates from six States who figure on the second list of the BJP for the Lok Sabha election, the party’s central election committee announced on Saturday.
When he rejoined the BJP in January, Mr. Yeddyurappa, who will contest from Shimoga in Karnataka, and the party had maintained that he was returning as an ordinary member and would not contest the election.
His return to the party was marred by controversy, with a section opposing it. He had to leave the party in 2011 following allegations of involvement in a mining scam levelled by the State Lokayukta.
Another former Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda will be the party’s candidate from Bangalore North. H.N. Ananth Kumar will contest from Bangalore South. But the party did not name its candidate from Bellary. In Karnataka, 12 sitting MPs have been re-nominated.
Sitting MPs and State unit functionaries form the bulk of the names announced by the committee, whose meeting was attended by party president Rajnath Singh, senior leader L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.
Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra will contest from Hooghly in West Bengal. Singer Babul Supriya is the party’s choice for the Asansol seat.
In Assam, of the five candidates announced, three are sitting MPs and two are State unit functionaries. From Kerala, former Minister O. Rajagopal has been fielded from Thiruvananthapuram. Former Minister Pradeep Nayak will contest from Kalahandi in Odisha.
The next list of candidates will be released after the committee meets on March 13.
