A total of 5,102 nominations have been filed by over 3,600 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections till April 20, the last day for filing of the papers. The papers will be scrutinised today, said election officials, reports PTI.
The process of filing nomination papers began on April 13 and the last day for the withdrawal of candidature is April 24 for the May 10 elections.
Of the total nominations, 4,710 were filed by 3,327 male candidates and 391 nominations were by 304 female candidates. One nomination has been filed by an “other gender” candidate, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka said in a statement late on Thursday night.
It said 707 nominations were filed by candidates who identified themselves with the BJP, 651 Congress, 455 JD(S) and the rest from other smaller parties and Independents. Officials said that a candidate can file upto four nominations.
On Thursday, the sixth and last day for filing of the papers, 1,934 nominations were filed by 1,691 candidates, including several prominent leaders.
Just hours before the deadline filing of nominations, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar’s younger brother and Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh entered the fray from the Kanakapura segment, where DKS is the party’s candidate. Reportedly, Suresh has filed his papers as a “backup plan” in case Shivakumar’s nomination gets rejected.
BJP candidate from Shivamogga Channabasappa, whose ticket was announced on Wednesday night by the party, filed his papers in the presence of senior leader and sitting MLA K S Eshwarappa, who has not been given a ticket for the upcoming polls.
Counting of votes for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will take place on May 13.