K'taka bypolls: Congress fields Satish Jarkiholi from Belgaum Lok Sabha seat

The Congress on Friday announced its state working president Satish Jarkiholi as the candidate for the April 17 bypolls to the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat.

Satish is currently the MLA of Yamkanmaradi assembly segment.

"The Congress President has approved the candidature of Satish Jarkiholi as party candidate to contest the ensuing by-election to the Lok Sabha from Belgaum parliamentary constituency of Karnataka," All India Congress Committee said in a release.

The state Congress on Saturday had recommended the name of Satish Jarkiholi as the candidate for Belgaum.

Satish, who had served as a Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, is the brother of BJP's Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had to resign from Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's cabinet recently in the wake of the alleged sex scandal.

By-polls to the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat were necessitated following the death of late Union Minister Suresh Angadi, who died due to COVID-19 in September last year.

The ruling BJP on Thursday had announced late Angadi's wife Mangala Suresh Angadi as its candidate from Belgaum, while there is still no clarity about JD(S) fielding its candidate.

The bypolls for Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, along with Maski and Basavakalyan assembly segments will be held on April 17 and the counting of votes will take place on May 2.

The Congress has already announced Mallamma, the wife of late legislator B Narayan Rao who died of COVID-19 in last September for Basavakalyan seat, while Basanagouda Turvihal, who recently joined the party, is its candidate in Maski segment.

While the BJP has named Pratapagouda Patil, who quit the Congress and joined the party as its candidate in Maski assembly segment; youth leader Sharanu Salagar has fielded for Basavakalyan seat.

Death of Congress MLA Narayan Rao, due to COVID-19 has necessitated bypolls in Basavakalyan; while, Maski assembly seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Pratapagouda Patil for his role along with others that led to the collapse of the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

JD(S) has named Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri, who was with the Congress earlier as its candidate from Basavakalyan, and is yet to announce a candidate for Maski seat.

The gazette notification for the bypolls was issued on March 23.

The last date for filing of nominations will be on March 30, and scrutiny will take place on the very next day.

April 3 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

While the BJP, which has won most of the bypolls after coming to power in aiming to continue its winning streak.

Congress, which has been targeting the ruling party for its alleged failures in providing good administration, corruption and impropriety following the sex scandal is hoping to make a mark by winning seats.

It at least aims to retain Basavakalyan and Maski, which it had won in the 2018 assembly elections.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy is also hoping to strike it big, especially in Basavakalyan, which he has said is the party's "stronghold".