82 candidates file nominations in Dakshina Kannada district for Karnataka polls

Atotal of 35 candidates filed their nominations for the eight Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada district on the last day of the nomination process in poll-bound Karnataka, officials said.

In all, 82 candidates have filed nominations for the eight constituencies in the coastal district from April 13 to April 20. The scrutiny of nominations will be held on Friday and candidates can withdraw their nominations till Monday.

Voting will take place on May 10 and results would be declared on May 13.

Former Congress ministers B Ramanath Rai (Bantwal) and U T Khader (Mangauru), BJP’s nominee from Puttur Asha Thimmappa Gowda and B A Mohiuddin Bava (Mangaluru North), who quit the Congress and joined Janata Dal (S) were among the candidates who filed their nominations on the last day on Thursday.

Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate from Puttur, Ismail Shafi (Shafi Bellare), an accused in the murder of BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettaru, also filed his nomination on the last day through his proposer and agent Abdul Rahman.

Shafi, currently in jail, is one of the 20 accused listed in the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a Bengaluru special court in January.

Others who filed their papers on the last day included Congress nominees J R Lobo (Mangaluru South), Inayat Ali (Mangaluru North) and BJP’s Satish Kumpala (Mangaluru).

In Udupi district, BJP candidate Yashpal Suvarna filed his nomination from Udupi constituency.