Bommai, Union Ministers Joshi and Khuba file nominations
Bengaluru (PTI): Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader Pralhad Joshi and actor Shivarajkumar's wife Geetha Shivarajkumar were among the prominent persons who filed their nominations on Monday for the May 7 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
Bommai filed his papers as the BJP candidate from Haveri and was accompanied by former Minister B C Patil and other party leaders.
He earlier paid respects to his parents' memorial. Bommai is the son of veteran Janata Party leader and former Chief Minister late S R Bommai.
Bommai's opponent from Congress, Anandswamy Gaddadevarmath, too filed his papers on Monday.
Joshi who is the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, formally entered the fray from Dharwad. Veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar were among the leaders who were with him.
Prior to filing his nomination, Joshi held a road show accompanied by the leaders.
Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers and New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba filed his nomination papers from Bidar.
Geetha Shivarajkumar, who is also the daughter of former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa and daughter-in-law of Kannada thespian late Rajkumar filed her nomination as Congress candidate from Shimoga.
She was accompanied by Shivarajkumar, her brother and state's School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, and several party leaders. They also held a road show, in which Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar participated.
Mrinal Hebbalkar, son of Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Minister of Women and Child Development in the state, also filed his nomination as the Congress candidate from the Belgaum Lok Sabha segment. He too was accompanied by Shivakumar and party leader Laxman Savadi among others. His road show earlier in the day featured his mother, senior minister Satish Jarkiholi and other leaders.
Among other candidates who filed their papers were BJP MP Annasaheb Shankar Jolle, who is seeking re-election from Chikkodi and the party's MP G M Siddeshwara's wife Gayathri Siddeshwara from Davangere.
As many as 14 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats will be going to polls in the second phase for which April 19 is the last day for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 20 and April 22 is the last day for withdrawal of papers.
In the first phase, 14 Lok Sabha constituencies are going to polls on April 26.
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
