Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 updates

"The central election committee of the party has decided the first 72 names for the ensuing Karnataka legislative Assembly elections", said the BJP in a statement released by its state unit.

Editor's Note: Voting in the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 will take place on 12 May, with the results to be declared on 15 May.

Two women candidates - Shashikala Jolle and Roopali Naik have also made it to the first list of the BJP.

The party has assigned sitting MLAs, ministers and senior party functionaries to quell possible dissidence once the list is out, he said.

The leaders are likely to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday evening and discuss the candidates and poll strategy, the sources added. Though his party performed poorly in the 2013 Assembly polls, it managed to wean away a substantial chunk of the BJP votes, leading to a rout of the saffron party. Chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka, B S Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura assembly constituency, according to the announcement.

"I am told that a list of Congress candidates for Karnataka election is under circulation". Malikayya Guttedar will contest from Afzhalpur and Mallikarjuna Khuba from Basavakalyana. Opposing this move, Mr Puttabudhdhi, member of the state-level committee of the Sabha said Mr Basavaraj and three office bearers of the Sabha, T.S. Lokesh, Chandrashekar and Guruswamy, have been dismissed. Many other BJP strong leaders such as KS Eshwarappa (Shivamogga), Basavaraj Bommai (Shiggaon) and B Sriramulu (Molakalmuru) have also been named in the list.