Congress names candidates for Basavakalyan and Maski bypolls

Bengaluru: The Congress on Thursday announced its candidates for the April 17 byelections to two Karnataka assembly constituencies, fielding Mallamma, the wife of late legislator B Narayan Rao who died of COVID-19 last September, in Basavakalyan.

Basanagouda Turvihal, who recently joined the party, would be its candidate in the Maski segment, a Congress press release said.

The party did not name the candidate for the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, which will also go to bypolls on April 17.

It, however, declared Ashok Managuli as the candidate for the Sindagi assembly seat, for which election has not yet been announced. The seat has fallen vacant following the death of senior JD(S) leader MC Managuli in January.

The Congress aims to retain Basavakalyan and Maski, which it had won in the 2018 assembly elections.

The death of Narayan Rao due to COVID-19 in September last year has necessitated the by-poll in Basavakalyan.

Among other factors, Congress seems to be eyeing sympathy wave in favour of Mallamma.

Turvihal was the BJP’s candidate from Maski in 2018 and had lost by a margin of just 213 against Prathapagouda Patil of the Congress, who is now with the BJP.

Maski seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Patil for his role along with others that led to the collapse of the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

The bypolls will be held on April 17 and the counting of votes will take place on May 2.

According to party sources, the candidate for the Belgaum seat is likely to be announced by the end of this week.

By-polls to the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat has been necessitated following the death of Union Minister Suresh Angadi of the BJP due to COVID-19 in September last year.