JD(S)-supported Congress candidate Kusumavati Shivalli and BJP candidate S I Chikkanagoudar filed their papers for the byelection to the Kundgol Assembly constituency on Monday.
The Kundgol seat fell vacant due to the demise of minister C S Shivalli, and byelection will be held on May 19. The Congress has fielded Shivalli’s wife Kusumavati, while BJP has given ticket to the nearest rival S I Chikkanagoudar. Twenty one other candidates have filed papers.
Before the Congress nominee filed her papers, a massive roadshow was conducted in the town, in which coalition co-ordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, former ministers H K Patil, Umashree, JD(S) leaders N H Konaraddi, M S Akki and others took part.
Thousands of workers of Congress and JD(S) participated in the roadshow, from Galimaremma temple to tahsildar’s office. Folk troupes also took part in the procession. Kusumavati and her son Amarashiva got emotional when they joined the roadshow near the bus stand.
The BJP also held a roadshow from Maratha Bhavan, in which BJP candidate S I Chikkanagoudar, MLAs Jagadish Shettar, Govind Karjol, Basavaraj Bommai, and MP Pralhad Joshi participated. M R Patil, who had sought the BJP ticket, took part in the roadshow to send a message of unity.
When both processions reached the tahsildar’s office, BJP workers raised the ‘Modi Modi’ slogan, while Congress workers raised slogans in favour of party chief Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, and Shivalli.