Bengaluru, Mar 20: The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday released the first list comprising 80 candidates who will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka.
The party has said it will field candidates in all the 224 Assembly segments in the State, where Assembly elections are due by May.
The first list includes Supreme Court lawyer Brijesh Kalappa, who will contest from Chickpet, former Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officer K Mathai (Shanti Nagar), B T Naganna (Rajajinagar), Mohan Dasari (C V Raman Nagar), Shanthala Damle (Mahalakshmi Layout) and Ajay Gowda from Padmanabhanagar.
Addressing a press conference, party state chief Prithvi Reddy said, ''These candidates (in the list) represent various sections of the society. The average age of the list of our candidates is only 46 years. More than 50 per cent of our candidates are below the age of 45,'' Reddy said.
According to him, the candidates have been chosen after a survey.
Reddy said 69 candidates are fresh faces, adding that the list comprises youth, women, farmers and people from various backgrounds.
''Our list has highly educated people. We have 13 advocates, three doctors and four IT professionals in the first list,'' the AAP leader said.
On the party fielding Sharatchandra from Channapatna, who is a relative of Congress state president D K Shivakumar, Reddy said it does not matter who is relatives are, and added that the fact that they have chosen AAP over Congress is ''sufficient''.
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Belagavi: The winter session of the Karnataka state legislature, set to take place in Belagavi, begins tomorrow, marking the 13th session held in the city. This session carries a significant weight of expectations, particularly for the people of North Karnataka, who hope for meaningful discussions and actionable solutions to the region’s persistent challenges.
Despite promises over the years to address the issues plaguing the region, there remains a sense of disillusionment among the people, as previous sessions have often failed to deliver substantial results. Many view these meetings as symbolic gestures rather than opportunities for genuine progress.
One of the critical topics that require urgent attention is the Mahadayi Project. Despite the tribunal's verdict seven years ago, the project has yet to commence, as it remains stalled due to the Central Wildlife Board’s pending approval.
Similarly, the Krishna Upper River Project has become a recurring subject of discussion in these sessions, yet it continues to face delays. Although the state has been allocated a share of water, it remains largely unutilized. The long-standing proposal for an alternative dam on the Tungabhadra River also remains unfulfilled, leaving the people of North Karnataka increasingly frustrated.
Another pressing concern is the lack of industrial development in the region. With no significant industries being established, many talented individuals from North Karnataka are compelled to migrate to cities like Pune, Bengaluru, and Goa in search of better opportunities. Even initiatives like the Invest Karnataka-Hubballi program, which promised investments of ₹83,000 crore, have failed to make an impact. Confusion over land pricing and allocation has deterred industries from setting up their operations in the area, further exacerbating the problem.
Moreover, the aftermath of recent heavy rains has left many residents struggling with immense damage to their homes and crops. However, the compensation provided thus far has been inadequate, prompting widespread demands for increased financial assistance. Farmers and other affected individuals are urging the government to approve ₹5 lakh for rebuilding collapsed houses and to address the lack of proper crop damage compensation.