The Election Commission will issue notification today for the Karnataka Assembly election to be held on May 12.

The filing of nominations by candidates contesting the election will begin today and last day to file nomination is April 24th. The scrutiny of the nominations will be held next day and the last day to withdraw the nomination is April 27.

The BJP has announced the names of 154 candidates and the Congress has declared the names of 218 Candidates while JD(S) has already announced its 126 candidates for the forthcoming assembly election.

Our correspondent reports that Karnataka has 224 Assembly constituencies out of which 36 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 15 for Scheduled Tribes.

BJP Chief Minister nominee B S Yeddyurappa will face G B Malatesh from Congress from Shikaripura assembly segment.

Malatesh is a block Congress President fighting the election for the first time. JD(S) has fielded H T Baligar, a retired Government official against Yeddyurappa.

The BJP strongman Yeddyurappa has won Shikaripura seven times since 1983. BJP has yet to announce its candidate against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is contesting from Chamundeshwari in Mysuru district. JD(S) has fielded sitting MLA G T Deve Gowda.