Bengaluru: BJP Chief Ministerial candidate for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls, B.S. Yeddyurappa, on Thursday filed his nomination papers from Shikaripura segment, a party official said. Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, about 300 km northwest of Bengaluru, is his hometown from where he is conteting for the ninth time since 1983, BJP state unit spokesman S. Shantharam told IANS here. Yeddyurappa, 75, a Lok Sabha member from Shivamogga in the state’s Malnad region, was the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) first state Chief Minister from 2008 to 2011 when he resigned following an indictment by the state ombudsman (Lokayukta) in a multi-crore mining scam. As per his poll affidavit, Yeddyurappa declared cash and bank deposits of Rs 34 lakh, immovable assets — including two residential buildings in Bengaluru and Shikaripura valued at over Rs 3.38 crore, and agricultural land worth about Rs 54 lakh — apart from 2.9 kg gold and 84.80 kg silver valued at over Rs 1 crore. Another BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa, the party’s leader in the Legislative Council, also filed his nomination from Shivamogga. Eshwarappa, Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP’s first state government from 2008 to 2013 — will contest the seat for the sixth time. He lost the seat in the 2013 elections to the Congress. Ruling Congress’ Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar filed his nomination from Kanakapura in Ramanagara district, about 55 km from Bengaluru. Those who filed their nominations on Thursday include BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashoka from Padmanabhanagar in Bengaluru district, Congress leader and Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra from Sira in Tumakuru, and Environment and Forests Minister B. Ramanatha Rai from Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada. A total of 135 candidates in 92 constituencies have filed a total of 155 nominations till Thursday, with a few candidates preferring multiple nominations. Polling for 224 Assembly segments will take place on May 12 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Votes will be counted on May 15. The last date for filing nominations is April 24. Scrutiny will be held on April 25 and the last date for withdrawal is April 27. IANS

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