HDK from Mandya but Sumalatha keeps options open

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The Lok Sabha battle for the 28 seats in Karnataka is slowly but steadily gaining momentum with the JD(S), the ally of the BJP, reportedly finalising candidates for the three constituencies it will be contesting from.

The regional outfit will reportedly be fielding incumbent MP Prajwal Revanna from Hassan while JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy is set to battle it out in Mandya.

Lastly, former Bangarpet MLA Mallesh Babu will be contesting from Kolar, a seat the JD(S) had to fight to secure in the seat sharing formula with the BJP.

He is likely to take on KG Chikkapedanna, the sonin-law of Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa, which has however been met with outrage by five Congress lawmakers who have threatened to quit.

The rebels include Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar. They have since been pacified by the party state leadership.

Chikkapedanna belongs to a ritually left hand Dalit caste, which essentially refers to Madigas and their sub-castes.

There is a faction within the Congress led by former Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar that wants the Kolar ticket for CM Muniyappa, who belongs to a ritually right hand Dalit caste, referring to Holeyas or any of their sub-castes.

The other option Congress was mooting was former Rajya Sabha MP L Hanumanthaiah, who also belongs to the ritually left handed Dalit caste.

The Kolar seat is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs). JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda's son-in-law Dr CN Manjunath will be contesting on a BJP ticket from Bengaluru Rural.

The BJP will be contesting from 25 seats and has announced all its candidates.