High-stakes Karnataka elections today

Voters across Karnataka will exercise their franchise to elect a new 224-member assembly on Wednesday. This will be the first big electoral faceoff between the ruling BJP and Congress, a year before the next Lok Sabha elections. A total of 2,615 candidates, including 184 women, are in the fray. Here’s a look:

KEY CONTESTS
KANAKAPURA
Cong heavyweight DK Shivakumar Vs BJP’s R Ashoka Vs JDS’ B Nagaraju


VARUNA
Former Cong CM Siddaramaiah Vs BJP’s Lingayat leader and housing minister V Somanna (who is also contesting from Chamarajanagar)

HUBBALLI-DHARWAD CENTRAL
Former BJP CM Jagadish Shettar, a Lingayat, is fighting on a Cong ticket Vs BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai Vs JDS’ M Siddalingeshwargouda

CHANNAPATNA
Former CM HD Kumaraswamy (JDS) Vs Cong’s Gangadhar S Vs BJP’s CP Yogeswara

SHIGGAON
CM Basavaraj Bommai (BJP) Vs Cong’s Pathan Yasirahmedkhan Vs JDS’ Shashidhar Yeligar

CHIKKAMAGALURU
BJP national general secretary CT Ravi (2013-18 winner) faces his former aide HD Thammiah, now contesting on a Cong ticket; BM Thimma Shetty is JDS candidate

SHIKARIPURA
BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra (BJP) Vs Cong’s Goni Malatesh

UDUPI
BJP hardliner Yashpal Suvarna (of Hijab fame) Vs Cong’s Prasadraj Kanchan and JDS’ Dakshath R Shetty

GOKAK
Ramesh Laxmanrao Jarkiholi, Cong MLA from 1999 to 2018 (was also a minister), switched over to BJP and won 2019 bypoll. He faces Cong’s Kadadi Mahantesh Kallappa

CHITTAPUR
Two-time Congress MLA Priyank Kharge (son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge) Vs BJP’s Manikanta Rathod Vs JDS’ Subhash Chandra Rathore

ATHANI
BJP MLA Mahesh Kumathalli Vs Cong’s Laxman Savadi. Former BJP leader and deputy CM Savadi recently joined Congress after he was denied a ticket. Kumathalli was a Congress MLA from the seat in 2018 and switched to BJP in 2019; Shashikant Padasalagi is JDS candidate.