Bangalore:

Nearly 70 candidates including 15 former BJP MLAs  are likely to figure in the first list of candidates of the newly formed KJP for the assembly polls. The list will be released on March 21.

Former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa, campaign committee chairman Dhananjay Kumar and party senior leaders C.M. Udasi and Shobha Karandlaje were  involved in the candidate selection process. Sources said that die-hard supporters of the former CM will get a place in the first list.They include

former minister C.M. Udasi,
former MLAs Suresh Gowda Patil,
Basavaraj Patil Attur,
Nehru Olekar,
S.I. Chikkanagowdra,
Sunil Vallyapur,

H. Halappa,
B.P. Harish,
Holalkere Chandrappa,
G. Shivanna
and Tippeswamy.

The KJP had decided to give tickets to Tarikere MLA D.S. Suresh and  Nagatana MLA Vittal Katakadonda but the Speaker has not accepted their  resignations from the assembly.

Even sitting MLCs Shivaraj Sajjanar and Mohan Limbikai are interested in contesting the assembly elections  on a KJP ticket, sources said.

The party will set aside seats for ruling party MLAs and ministers who have decided to join the KJP once the Central Election Commission

issues the notification for elections. The KJP is hoping that agriculture minister Umesh Katti will soon join the party.

The KJP has also decided to reserve tickets for  MLAs,   Laxman Sawadi,  C.C. Patil,   Shrishailappa Bidaru, Yellapura MLA V.S. Patil and  Shirahatti MLA Ramappa Lamani.   Soon after the  second batch of MLAs join the party, the second list of   candidates will be released, sources said, adding that in the first list, Yeddyurappa may also announces candidates for Bengaluru city.

process is on and the second list of candidates will be announced soon, Yeddyurappa said.

The Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) headed by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday released its first list of 69 candidates for the May 05 Assembly Elections.

Beating the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress in the move, Yeddyurappa told reporters that he will fight from his traditional Shikaripura constituency in Shimoga district.

The former chief minister's trusted lieutenant Shobha Karandlaje, whose name figures in the list announced a day after the Election Commission declared the single phase poll schedule, will contest from Rajajinagar in Bangalore.

Out of the 69 candidates, three are women, 14 belong to the SC and eight to the ST, besides three Muslims and a Christian, Yedurappa said.

The Congress, the BJP and the JDS are still engaged in the process of selecting candidates.

The KJP will not have truck with any other party and will contest all 224 Assembly seats, said Yeddyurappa, whose party did damage to the BJP in the recently concluded Urban Local Bodies polls, but failed to make a mark on its own.

"I am confident that the party will gain majority," he said.

The KJP is in touch with pro-Kannada and various other organisations fighting for the cause of state's land, water and farmers, he said adding, "We have had three rounds of talks with these organisations and they have expressed their eagerness to join hands with us."

The process is on and the second list of candidates will be announced soon, Yeddyurappa said.

Asked when other BJP ministers and legislators, apart from those who had already joined hands with him, are expected to join the KJP, Yeddyurappa added, "wait and watch”.