Congress nominee Limbikai files nomination after procession, student leader Kanthakumar too in fray

On the penultimate day of filing nomination papers for the election to the Karnataka West Graduates’ Constituency of the Karnataka Legislative Council, five candidates, including Congress nominee Mohan Limbikai and students’ leader Kanthakumar, filed their nomination papers on Monday. With one more day to go before the deadline ends, there are now eight candidates who have entered the fray.

Those who filed their nominations on Monday were Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai, independents Basavaraj Kotagi and Jishan Shirsangi, Karnataka Rashtra Samithi candidate Nishanth Bankapur, and All-Karnataka Students’ Association president Kanthakumar, who is contesting as an independent candidate.

Returning Officer and Belagavi Regional Commissioner K.M. Janaki said that eight candidates had filed 14 sets of nomination papers.

While the independent candidates arrived at the office of the Returning Officer at the Dharwad Deputy Commissioner’s office with their proposers, Mr. Limbikai took out a procession from Kadapa Maidan in an open vehicle before filing his nomination.

He was accompanied by Cooperation Minister Laxman Savadi, Labour Minister Santosh Lad, former Minister H.K. Patil, legislators N.H. Konaraddi, Srinivas Mane, Prakash Koliwad, U.B. Banakar, F.H. Jakkappanavar, former MLA D.R. Patil and others.

Speaking to presspersons after filing his nomination papers, Mr. Limbikai said he would effectively represent the interests of graduates in the Legislative Council. He said the State government’s decision to fill vacant posts in various departments would benefit graduates and claimed that government employees, who constitute a sizeable section of voters in the four districts, would support the government.

S.V. Sankanur, the BJP nominee and two-time MLC, is set to file his nomination papers on the last day to file nomination papers, Tuesday (October 6).

The constituency has 88,087 voters, including 51,599 men and 36,488 women. 2,540 voters have further been added during the continuous revision of the electoral roll, bringing the total number of voters to 90,627.

The last date for filing nominations is Tuesday, October 6. Scrutiny will be held on October 7, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9. Polling will be held on October 23, and counting will be held on October 27 at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The election process will conclude on October 31.

A total of 128 polling stations have been set up across the constituency, including 54 in Dharwad district, 23 in Gadag, 28 in Haveri and 23 in the Uttara Kannada district. The voting will be through ballot papers, and there will be no NOTA option.