Karnataka Elections LIVE: Janardhana Reddy's Aide Sriramulu to Contest Against Siddaramaiah from Badami

Siddaramaiah hits back at Yeddyurappa for Cong dynasty barb | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today lashed out at BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa for calling Congress a party of dynastic politics as he questioned the credentials of the saffron party to make the attack. " He questioned BJP's "moral grounds" for calling Congress a party of dynastic politics when Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra had been elected to parliament and the assembly in the past. "Who is Raghavendra? Whose son is he? Is he"not Yeddyurappa's son? Raghavendra was MP."What should we call it? Shouldn't we call it dynastic"politics? These people (BJP) are fooling around everyone,""Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru.

Mayawati to camp in Mysore today | Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda manages to persuade BSP supremo Mayawati to come and campaign in Karnataka again. She will address a public meeting in Mysore today. BSP is contesting in 19 seats in alliance with Janata Dal-Secular. In February, BSP supremo Mayawati addressed a huge public rally in Bengaluru with Deve Gowda, announcing their decision to fight the polls jointly. Gowda had offered her 21 out of 224 seats and Mayawati promised to address at least six rallies during the campaign. The BSP could possibly adopt a similar template for Karnataka in order to prevent a split of anti-BJP Dalit votes. This could lead to Congress benefitting at the expense of the JD(S).

Calling PM Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath "north Indian imports", Siddaramaiah said that the BJP Karnataka has reduced B S Yedyurappa to a dummy face.

. @BJP4Karnataka by waiting for North Indian imports like PM Modi, UPCM Adityanath is admiting they have no leaders in the state. They have reduced their CM face @BSYBJP to a dummy.

PM may come & go. Here it is Siddaramaiah vs BSY & you know who is winning.#CongressMathomme https://t.co/IatRRstyAe

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 25, 2018

Lashing out at BJP's decision to give tickets to controversial Reddy brothers, chief minister Siddaramaiah tweeted, "The Reddy Brothers ran Republic of Bellary in 2008-12, made B S Yeddyurappa a puppet CM, bought MLAs under Operation Kamala, kept them in resorts and looted Rs 35,000 crore of iron ore. Karnataka suffered humiliation of being called the most corrupt state." 

The #ReddyBrothers ran Republic of Bellary in 2008-12, made @BSYBJP a puppet CM, bought MLAs under Operation Kamala, kept them in resorts & looted 35,000 Cr. of iron ore. Karnataka suffered humiliation of being called “Most corrupt State”

They are back again to loot Karnataka. https://t.co/tVYuHy8Dde

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 25, 2018

"On 18th November, 2013, the Siddaramaiah government assigned the iron ore mining scam to the CBI. Nine ports were used to siphon off iron ore from Karnataka and this illegal ore was exported. The lokayukta has stated this on record. When CBI was examining this cases, Amit Shah declared Yeddyruppa as the CM candidate. On 13 June 2017. CBI writes to Karnataka saying no iron ore was stolen from the two ports in Goa, citing that they could not find the criminals as the iron ore stolen from Goa and karnataka have got mixed up. This is preposterous reasoning."-Surjewala

The Congress has attacked the BJP for giving tickets to aides of the tainted Reddy brothers. In a press conference, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala. in a press conference, said, " I'm here today with the important issue of plundering the natural resource of Karnataka in a mining scam. The lokayukta had proclaimed the loss of Rs 35000 crore in the mining scam which had caused Yeddyruppa to be sacked as Chief Minister when it came out. But according to Modi government, no one is responsible for the Rs 35000 crore scam. Modi is become the protector and defender of the Bellary gang."

Janardhan Reddy's aide B Sriramulu to contest from Badami  | The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have zeroed it on Janardhan Reddy's aide and Lok Sabha MP B Sriramulu as its candidate against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Badami Assembly Constituency in North Karnataka. The party is still struggling to find a candidate and to take on Siddaramaiah’s son Yatindra in the Varuna constituency in South Karnataka.Badami is the second constituency for the CM as he has also filed his nomination from Chamundeshwari and is expected to take on GT Devegowda of the (JDS). Sriramulu had earlier filed his nomination papers from Molakalmuru constituency in Chitradurga district.

Ambareesh won't contest election | Actor and sitting Mandya MLA Ambareesh is said to have refused to contest the May 12 Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. Ambarish, who was allotted the party ticket from Mandya, have told the Congress High Command that he will not be contesting the polls. Now, Congres has decided to field P Ravi Kumar - the leader whose supporters broke chairs and doors at the party’s local office as the sitting legislator Ambareesh was preferred over him for the constituency. Ambareesh has asked yo give a ticket to his aide Amaravathi Chandrashekar.

Yogi to address 35 rallies in poll-bound Karnataka | Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address around 35 rallies in Karnataka from May 3 as the BJP goes all-out to seize power in the southern state. Party sources said the focus will be on Lingayat, Dalit and Nath community votes.

Income tax department conducted raids at Mysore and Bangalore on 11 contractors, including 10 in Mysore and one in Bengaluru. 

BJP releases its 5th list for Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 but fail to project any candidate for Varuna and Badami constituencies. The party made changes in 6 seats, excluding Sakleshpur and Sidlaghatta. 5th List of Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election list | 1)Arasikere=Mariswamy. 2)Sakleshpura(SC)=Somashekhar. 3)Madhugiri=Ramesh Reddy. 4)Shira=S R Gowda. 5)Shidlaghatta=H. Suresh. 6)Srinivaspura=Dr.Venugopal. 7)Mandya=Chandagala Shivanna. 8)Melukote=Shivalinge Gowda.

Karnataka BJP Chief BS Yeddyurappa's son BY Vijayendra is appointed as the State General Secretary, Yuva Morcha. Karnataka BJP shared the news on its Twitter handle today. "Congratulations to Shri BY Vijayendra on his appointment as State General Secretary, Yuva Morcha. His addition will greatly boost the party cadre and strengthen our organisation in the Old Mysuru region. He will be campaigning extensively for candidates in the Old Mysuru region," the tweet reads.

Congratulations to Shri BY Vijayendra on his appointment as State General Secretary, Yuva Morcha. His addition will greatly boost the party cadre and strengthen our organisation in the Old Mysuru region.

He will be campaigning extensively for candidates in the Old Mysuru region.

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 24, 2018

Sources said that B S Yeddyurappa's son Vijayendra may contest from Varuna. After party denied him a ticket, there was a huge protest in Mysore. An angry Yeddyurappa has told high command that Vijayendra must contest, but the high command is not ready. Vijayendra has kept his nomination papers ready. Some BJP candidates from Mysore have threatened to quit the party after Vijayendra was denied ticket.

MOILY ON CONGRESS MANIFESTO | Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily says that the party would soon release its manifesto for Karnataka. The manifesto committee has already prepared a draft manifesto and is awaiting the approval from Rahul Gandhi to release it. He revealed that apart from Bengaluru, it focuses on transformative changes for development, social justice and agriculture. 
On tickets given to Janardhan Reddy's aides, Moily said that it reflects the fact that the BJP has become desperate. “They are not finding good and genuine candidates that is why they have ransacked and put any candidate. Whether they are tainted or not, whether they are criminals or not doesn’t matter.” 
“They have released four lists which shows the instability in the minds of BJP leadership, whereas the Congress released 218 seats in one go that shows our stability.”

"BJP has been taken over by the Reddy Brothers. Several MLA tickets have been given to their family members. Even today, yet another of their relative has been given a ticket in Bengaluru.

BJP seems to have not learnt their lesson from their 2008-13 disastrous tenure": @moilyv pic.twitter.com/SxrNs13Ck0

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 23, 2018

BJP has released its third list of 59 candidates on Friday for the Karnataka assembly elections.

REDDY BROTHERS | BJP on Friday fielded Karunakar Reddy, one of the Reddy brothers - tainted mining barons - from Harapanahalli as it released its third list of 59 candidates on Friday for the Karnataka assembly elections. The party had in its second list released earlier fielded another of three Reddy brothers, Somashekhara Reddy, from Ballari. Reddy brothers have been accused in the past of illegal mining.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily says on Twitter: “Congress has released the list of candidates already while BJP & JD(S) are struggling to find candidates. Only Congress has a pan-Karnataka presence & JD(S) is the B-Team of BJP.”

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily tweets: "BJP has been taken over by the Reddy Brothers. Several MLA tickets have been given to their family members. Even today, yet another of their relative has been given a ticket in Bengaluru. BJP seems to have not learnt their lesson from their 2008-13 disastrous tenure."

The much-talked about assembly constituencies — Badami and Varuna — are missing from the BJP's fourth list. BJP is yet to make up its mind on the remaining four constituencies and tomorrow is the last date to file nominations. The ticket for Varuna, where BS Yeddyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra was expected to contest, has also not announced yet. Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa said his son won't contest the upcoming election which led to the ruckus at party's Mysore office. The party is yet to announce its candidate in Badami. 

BJP releases the fourth list for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 but it is still incomplete. The party is still deciding on four constituencies. Jaggesh will contest from Yeshwantpur, while the comedian wanted a seat in Tumakuru district. Meanwhile, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, who was seen actively campaigning for the party in Yeshwantpur, won't be contesting elections this time.

Addressing a convention in Mysore, BJP state president and CM hopeful BS Yeddyurappa has said that his son Vijayendra will not be contesting against CM Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra from Varuna constituency. The announcement was met with an uproar from party workers, who created a ruckus and even threw chairs.

Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary who is in-charge of Karnataka said there is nothing wrong in Janardhana Reddy campaigning for BJP. Though his name is not in BJP's campaigners' list, he can still campaign.

Mandya MLA and popular Sandalwood actor Ambareesh have expressed that he does not wish to contest in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. He asked Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr. G Parameshwara to offer the ticket to his associate,  Amaravathi  Chandrashekar. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah for contesting from Badami.  The BJP took to Twitter and said "Siddaramaiah has accepted defeat even before the war has begun. By contesting from Badami he has proved two things: 1. He has no confidence in winning from his own hometown. 2. By choosing a Kuruba dominant constituency, he showed he is no more than a 'one caste' leader."

CM @siddaramaiah has accepted defeat even before the war has begun. By contesting from Badami he has proved two things:
1. He has no confidence in winning from his own hometown.
2. By choosing a Kuruba dominant constituency, he showed he is no more than a 'one caste' leader.

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 23, 2018

Its interesting how self proclaimed AHINDA leader @siddaramaiah did not consider minority dominated seats like Mangaluru, Gulbarga North or OBC dominant seats like Afzalpur or Gurmitkal, for 2nd candidature.

By Badami you have proved your appeal is at most limited to one caste.

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 23, 2018

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I am looking forward to a thundering speech on corruption by PM @narendramodi on 1st May!," the tweet reads.

I am looking forward to a thundering speech on corruption by PM @narendramodi on 1st May! pic.twitter.com/c4ReMFBMn3

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 23, 2018

Congress MLA NA Haris is re-nominated from Shanthinagara Assembly seat in Bengaluru, weeks after putting his ticket on hold over the assault allegations against his son Mohammad Nalapad. The state Congress had earlier decided against giving him the ticket after his son generated negative publicity with the alleged assault on a youth at a high-end pub in Bengaluru two months ago. However, after scouting for a suitable candidate who could replace Haris, the ruling Congress seems to have fallen back on the two-time MLA to win the seat again. Haris’ son Mohammad Nalapad has been expelled from the Youth Congress two months ago after the assault which hit national headlines. The Karnataka High Court dismissed his bail application and the state government filed a caveat in the Supreme Court opposing his bail.  Haris is a two-time MLA from Shanthinagara, a Muslim, Christian and Dalit-dominated Assembly seat in Bengaluru. 

Congress releases final list of 11 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. There are four changes in the list released today. No ticket for HS Chandramouli, the lawyer for absconding businessman Mehul Choksi. Chandramouli was chosen as the candidate from Madikeri. Now, KP Chandrakala will contest from Madikeri. 

Reacting to BJP's Sadananda Gowda's demand that the Election Commission should reject Siddaramaiah's nomination for "providing wrong information", Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said "Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji also contested election from two seats. He (Siddaramaiah) is contesting election from the two constituencies (Chamundeshwari and Badami) under directions by Party's High Command."