Mangaluru (PTI): With the announcement of Gururaj Gantihole, a partyman with strong RSS background, as its candidate from Byndoor in Udupi, the ruling BJP in Karnataka has presented four new faces from the coastal district, which was swept by the party in the 2018 Assembly elections.
Among the five seats in the district, only Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar could get the party's renomination from Karkala constituency.
In the prestigious Udupi seat, sitting MLA Raghupati Bhat was replaced by controversial, emerging Hindutva leader Yashpal Suvarna who has strong support among the party cadre.
Yashpal Suvarna is one of the staunchest supporters of Hindutva ideology and had made controversial remarks against protesters in the Hijab row. He went on to call the protesters and petitioners of the Hijab row ‘terrorists’. He was also the vice president of the college committee at the Women’s Government PU College during the Hijab row.
Sitting MLA B M Sukumar Shetty was replaced by Gantihole in Byndoor, while Kiran Kumar Kodgi, a nominee of sitting MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty, who announced his retirement from electoral politics, was given ticket in Kundapur.
In Kaup, BJP fielded a new face in Gurme Suresh Shetty, replacing sitting MLA Lalaji R Mendon.
In Karkala, where the party retained minister V Sunil Kumar as its candidate, a tough fight is expected in view of Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik's decision to contest polls.
Bhat, who broke down before the media on Wednesday, did not mention anything about the reported move to contest as an independent.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP had won from all the five constituencies in the district.
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Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
