Janata Dal (Secular) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy, his wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar were among those who filed their nomination papers from Mandya and Ramanagaram districts on Monday.
While the mood was festive at Kanakapura, Ramanagaram, Channapatna, Nagamangala and Maddur, where leaders filed their papers accompanied by large groups of supporters, such enthusiasm was lacking in Mandya Assembly constituency because of dissidence in the Congress.
In Ramangaram
Mr. Kumaraswamy filed his papers from Ramanagaram Assembly constituency at the Mini-Vidhana Soudha in Ramanagaram. His wife filed her papers at the tahsildar’s office Channapatna.
The two were accompanied by supporters and folk artistes as they made their way to file the papers.
Maridevaru, Congress candidate from Ramanagaram constituency, also filed his nomination papers on Monday.
The former Ministers P.G.R. Sindhia (Janata Dal – Secular) and Mr. Shivakumar filed papers at Kanakapura.
H.C. Balakrishna (Janata Dal – Secular) and A. Manjunath (Congress), who are eying a win from Magadi, too filed their papers.
In Mandya
Mandya MP N. Cheluvaraya Swamy (Janata Dal – S), T. Krishnappa (Karnataka Janata Paksha) and H.N. Narasimha Murthy (BSP) filed papers from the Nagamangala Assembly constituency.
Melkote MLA C.S. Puttaraju (Janata Dal – S) and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader K.S. Puttannaiah (Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha) are seeking election from Melkote constituency.
Malavalli MLA P.M. Narendra Swamy (Congress), the former MLA K. Annadani (Janata Dal – S) and Muniraju (Karnataka Janata Paksha) have thrown their hats in the ring at Malavalli.
From Maddur constituency, it was the former MLA D.C. Thammanna (Janata Dal – S), Madhu G. Made Gowda (Congress) and the former MLA Kalpana Siddaraju (Independent).
K.R. Pet MLA K.B. Chandrashekar (Congress) and software engineer G.C. Asha (Independent) filed papers from K.R. Pet constituency.
T. Shridhar (BJP) and J. Shivu (BSR Congress) filed their nomination papers from Srirangapatna.
Kannada activist Ashok filed papers as an Independent from Mandya.
Actor and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president M.H. Ambareesh did not file his nomination papers on Monday, because of confusion over issuing Congress ticket to A.S. Ravindra Srikantaiah from Srirangapatna constituency.
Mr. Ambareesh’s aide L.D. Ravi, Congress candidate from Melkote, also did not file his papers as he was in Bangalore holding discussions with Mr. Ambareesh. He said on Sunday that he would abstain from campaigning as the actor had decided not to contest.