Congress Unveils First List of Candidates for Karnataka Lok Sabha Polls

The Congress party has announced its first list of seven candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. The list includes D K Suresh (Bangalore Rural), Geetha Shivarajkumar (Shimoga), H R Algur (Bijapur), Anandswamy Gaddadevarmath (Haveri), S P Muddahanumegowda (Tumkur), Venkataramane Gowda (Mandya), and Shreyas M Patel (Hassan).

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Geetha Shivarajkumar Set to Challenge B Y Raghavedra in Shivamogga

The announcement of Geetha Shivarajkumar as the Congress candidate for the Shivamogga seat has set the stage for an interesting battle in the home district of BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa. Geetha, the daughter of former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa, contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Shivamogga on a Janata Dal Secular ticket and lost to Yediyurappa. The seat is currently held by Yediyurappa's son, B Y Raghavedra.

Venkataramane Gowda to Take on Sumalatha Ambareesh in Mandya

Another notable candidate on the Congress list is Venkataramane Gowda, also known as Star Chandru, who will contest from the Mandya seat. The Mandya seat is currently represented by Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by the BJP. Gowda is a contractor by profession.

Muddahanumegowda Returns to Congress Fold

The Congress has also named S P Muddahanumegowda as its candidate for the Tumkur seat. Muddahanumegowda was denied renomination in the 2019 elections to make way for Congress-JDS alliance candidate H D Deve Gowda, who lost the polls. Muddahanumegowda officially joined the BJP in 2022 but kept a low profile. He returned to the Congress fold only last month.

Congress Confident of Putting Up a Strong Show

The Congress is confident of putting up a strong show in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. The party had swept the 2019 general elections, bagging 25 of the total 28 seats in the state, while an independent Sumalatha Ambareesh backed by the party had also emerged victorious. The Congress and the JDS, which were running a coalition government back then and fought the election together, had come a cropper winning just one seat each. However, the political scene has changed significantly since then; the Congress scored a thumping victory in the Assembly elections in May last year and now appears battle-ready, determined to put up a strong show in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress has announced its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, setting the stage for some interesting battles in key constituencies. The party is confident of putting up a strong show and is determined to improve its performance from the 2019 elections.