The saga of dual candidature in Karnataka politics

DHNS
April 12, 2018

Bengaluru, Apr 12: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president G Parameshwara and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy are now set to join the list of politicians, who have contested polls from more than one seat.

This time, Kumaraswamy was the first to announce his candidature from two seats - Ramanagaram, which he currently represents, and Channapatna, which is considered to be the JD(S)' stronghold in the old Mysore region.

Siddaramaiah is considering contesting from Badami in Bagalkot district, where Kurubas (the community to which the chief minister belongs to) are large in number. This is besides Chamundeshwari, where it is now widely said that the chance of Siddaramaiah's victory is bleak. Similarly, Parameshwara is said to be exploring 'a safer seat' besides Koratagere, where he faced defeat in the 2013 polls.

Gowda, the pioneer

Former prime minister and JD(S) National president H D Deve Gowda was the first politician to contest from two seats simultaneously, political analyst S Mahadeva Prakash points out. "In 1985, Gowda contested from Holenarasipur and erstwhile Sathanur in Kanakapura. It was an interesting election for him in Holenarasipur, where he took on his friend G Puttaswamy Gowda, who had rebelled. Gowda won both seats."

Gowda, however, lost Holenarasipura to Puttaswamy Gowda and Kanakapura to P G R Sindhia, when he contested from the same two seats for the second time in 1989. Gowda, for the third time, chose two constituencies - Kanakapura and Hassan - during the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. He won from Hassan, but lost Kanakapura to Tejaswini Gowda.

Former chief minister S Bangarappa also contested from two seats in the 2004 Assembly elections. "Bangarappa took on B S Yeddyurappa in Shikaripura and lost. But he won from Soraba, his second option.

In 1999, former AICC president Sonia Gandhi chose Bellary Lok Sabha constituency besides Raebareli, which is considered the Gandhi family's pocket borough. She won both, but retained Raebareli.

"Generally, contesting from two seats is a clear indication of one's vulnerability on home turf. Candidates losing confidence of winning from their own constituency dates back to 1962, when chief ministerial face S Nijalingappa lost to an unknown T G Rangappa in Hosadurga," explains Prakash.

The Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court recently that a candidate should not be allowed to contest from two constituencies. This is 'an injustice to the voters of the constituency, which the candidate decides to forfeit," its affidavit stated.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
December 2,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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