Bengaluru: The BJP's Central Election Committee on Sunday announced its first list of 72 candidates for the May 12 Assembly elections in Karnataka, where the saffron party hopes to return to power.

MP and state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa will contest from the Shikaripura Assembly constituency, while B Sriramulu, party MP from Ballari district, will be the candidate from Molakalmuru in Chitradurga district. The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other BJP leaders.

Shashikala Jolle (Nippani); Laxman Savadi (Athani); Bharamagouda H Kage (Kagwad); P Rajeev (Kudachi-SC); Duryodhana Aihole (Raibagh); Umesh Katti (Hukkeri); Balachandra Jarakiholi (Arabhavi); Sanjay Patil (Belgaum Rural); Vishwanath Patil (Bailhongal); Anand Vishwanath Mamani (Saudatti Yellamma); Govind Karjol (Mudhol-SC); A S Patil Nadahalli (Muddebihal); Vijugouda Patil (Babaleshwar); Basavanagouda Patil Yetnal (Bijapur City); Ramesh Bhusanur (Sindgi); Malikayya Guttedar (Afzalpur); Narasimha Naik (Shorapur-ST); Guru Patil Shiraval (Shahapur); Dattatreya Patil Revur (Gulbarga Dakshin); Subhash Guttedar (Aland); Mallikarjun Khuba (Basavakalyan); Prabhu Chouhan (Aurad-SC); Thipparaju Havaldar (Raichur Rural-ST); Shivaraj Patil (Raichur); Shivanagouda Naik (Devadurga-ST); Manappa Vajjal (Lingsugur-SC); Doddanagouda Patil (Kushtagi); Amruth Desai (Dharwad); Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central); Aravind Bellad (Hubli-Dharwad West); Roopali Naik (Karwar); Kageri Vishweswara Hegde (Sirsi); C M Udasi (Hangal); Basavaraj Bommai (Shiggaon); U B Banakar (Hirekerur); Gaviyappa (Vijayanagara); T H Suresh Babu (Kampli-ST);

B Raghavendra (Sandur-ST); B Sriramulu (Molakalmuru-ST); G H Thippareddy (Chitradurga); Poornima Srinivas (Hiriyur); Gulihatti D Shekhar (Hosadurga); S A Ravindranath (Davangere North); K S Eshwarappa (Shimogga); B S Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura); Haladi Srinivasa Shetty (Kundapura); V Sunil Kumar (Karkala); D N Jeevaraj (Sringeri); C T Ravi (Chikkamagaluru); B Suresh Gowda (Tumkur Rural); Y Sampangi (Kolar Gold Fields-SC); S R Vishwanath (Yelahanka); P M Muniraju Gowda (Rajarajeshwari Nagar); S Muniraju (Dasarahalli); C N Ashwathanarayan (Malleswaram); Y A Narayanaswamy (Hebbal); S Raghu (C V Raman Nagar - SC); S Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar); V Somanna (Govindaraj Nagar); Uday Garudachar (Chickpet); Ravi Subramanya (Basavanagudi); R Ashoka (Padmanabhanagar); B N Vijayakumar (Jayanagar); Aravind Limbavali (Mahadevapura - SC);

 Satish Reddy (Bommanahalli); M Krishnappa (Bangalore South); A Narayanaswamy (Anekal - SC); Sharath Bachchegowda (Hosakote); C P Yogeeshwara (Channapatna); Nanjundegowda (Srirangapatna); S Angara (Sullia - SC) and Appachu Ranjan (Madikeri).

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, on Monday urged the state government to take strict action against BJP MLC C T Ravi for allegedly using a derogatory word against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council recently.

He called the BJP "anti women", and also hit out at the saffron party and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged remark against B R Ambedkar in the Parliament last week, which had led to a political uproar.

"The BJP has repeatedly insulted the women of this country. BJP's very character is anti women, anti youth, anti farmer and anti dalit, tribes and backward classes. The way in which BJP leaders are using derogatory language against women leaders once again is deplorable. I urge the Karnataka government to take strict action against the culprits," Surjewala told reporters here in response to a question.

Ravi allegedly used a derogatory word against Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on December 19 during an altercation between them, when the House was adjourned for a while. He was arrested on the same day evening and taken into the police van from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, where the legislature session was held, based on Hebbalkar's complaint.

The High Court on December 20 ordered the immediate release of Ravi in its interim order, observing that police failed to follow the procedures in arresting him. However, the bench of Justice M G Uma asked Ravi to co-operate with the investigation and be available for questioning.

Responding to a question on alleged use of a derogatory word against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which purportedly had led to altercation between Ravi and Minister Hebbalkar, Surjewala said, whether it is Mahatma Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, they will have to face opposition from forces that is trying to divide the country.

"Some people have lost their mental stability and they only try to divert attention. They will make fun of Babasaheb Ambedkar, they will try to bulldoze the Constitution. When Amit Shah himself is abusing and making fun of the framers of the Constitution like -- Babasaheb Ambedkar, will they leave Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) and Rahul Gandhi? This very ideology had opposed Mahatma Gandhi when he was alive and...," he said.