Ex-PM Deve Gowda to contest Lok Sabha polls again

The JD(S) has finalised candidates for more than 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, the sitting MP from Hassan, will contest the poll from his constituency this time too.

In Shimoga, the party is contemplating to field former chief minister late S Bangarappa's wife Shakunthala or his daughter, and actor Shivarajkumar's wife, Geetha, against BJP's candidate BS Yeddyurappa.

Chikkaballapur, which is a Vokkaliga stronghold, will see HD Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha squaring off against Union minister Veerappa Moily. Although she lost the by-poll to the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seat last year, the party believes Vokkaliga voters will lend support to her in the general election this time.

Mandya, another stronghold of the party until recently, will see former MLA CS Puttaraju contesting against the Congress's sitting MP, Ramya.

JD(S) candidates

Hassan: HD Deve Gowda
Mandya: CS Puttaraju
Mysore: SR Mahesh
Chamarajanagar: M Shivanna
Bangalore Rural: Prabhakar Reddy
Chikkaballapura: Anitha Kumaraswamy/Shreenivasalu
Bangalore Central: Nandini Alwa/Abddul Azeem
Kolar: Siddaiah/Keshava
Chitradurga: Goolihatti Shekar
Tumukur: A Krishnappa
Shimoga: Shakunthala Bangarappa/Geetha Shivarajkumar
Udupi-Chikkamagalur: Boje Gowda
Davangere: Saifullah
Raichur: Raja Amaresh Nayak
Gulbarga: DG Sagar
Bidar: Bandeppa Kashempur