As many as 20 candidates, including one from the Janata Dal (Secular), withdrew from the fray on Friday, the last date for withdrawing nomination for the elections to 25 seats of the Legislative Council from the Local Authorities’ constituencies.
Of the total candidates who withdrew their nomination papers, 19 were Independents. In Kodagu, the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate, Isaak Khan, withdrew his papers, leaving the Congress and the BJP to slug it out in a direct contest. He told reporters that party leaders H.D. Kumaraswamy and MP Prajwal Revanna directed him to withdraw from the fray.
Four candidates withdrew nomination in Vijayapura and Dakshina Kannada each, both of which have two seats.
With these withdrawals, 91 candidates remain in the fray of which 46 are from the BJP, the Congress and the JD(S). Elections to the Legislative Coucil will be held on December 10 and the results declared on December 14.
