The battleground for the May 10 Assembly elections in coastal Karnataka, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts, is set with the nomination papers of the candidates of major political parties in the fray found valid during their scrutiny on Friday.
The elections will be conducted for 19 constituencies in the coastal belt. Of them eight constituencies are in Dakshina Kannada, five are in Udupi district and six are in Uttara Kannada. Sullia is the only constituency which is reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate in the coastal belt. April 24 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
There is a straight fight between the BJP and the Congress in all the constituencies except in Haliyal and Kumta in Uttara Kannada where there is a triangular fight with the BJP, Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) candidates vying against each other.
Meanwhile, candidates have begun door-to-door campaigns in many constituencies. In Mangaluru City South, the BJP candidate D. Vedavyasa Kamath and the Congress candidate J. R. Lobo have begun their door-to-door campaign on a brisk note. The national leaders from the BJP and the Congress, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, are scheduled to campaign in the belt.
Rahul Gandhi to visit Udupi on April 27
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Udupi on April 27 and will hold an interaction with fishermen at Uchila.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar will campaign in Ujire in Dakshina Kannada on Saturday at noon. He will campaign at Baindoor in Udupi district on Sunday at 3.15 p.m. Mr. Shivakumar will be in Udupi on Monday and campaign at 3 p.m.
In Puttur Assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada, Sangh Parivar leader Arun Kumar Puthila is contesting as a rebel (Independent) after the BJP denied him ticket. In Kumta constituency in Uttara Kannada, former Congress MLA Sharada Mohan Shetty is contesting as a rebel after the Congress fielded Nivedith Alava as its candidate. In Mangaluru City South, former Congress MLA B. A. Mohiuddin Bava is contesting as the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate after the Congress denied him the ticket.
