Record-breaking number of candidates files for Karnataka polls

Bengaluru, April 24: A record number of 2,407 candidates have filed nominations for the May 12 Karnataka assembly elections, with a whopping 1,280 of them doing on Tuesday, the last date to enter the fray.

According to the Election Commission's website, of the total nominees, 244 are from the ruling Congress, 258 from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, 208 from the Janata Dal-Secular, 1,084 are Independents and 613 from regional parties and fringe outfits.

As more than 224 candidates have filed from the Congress and BJP, their spokesmen said that the additional 20 from the Congress and 34 from the BJP would have filed without the mandatory B-Form from their respective parties and hence were likely to be rejected after scrutiny on Wednesday or if they pullout by the last date of withdrawal on April 27.

Nominations began on April 17 after a single-phase election to the 224-member assembly was notified.

"Some of our party members would have filed nominations without the B form as rebels or will be contesting as Independents if they are rejected as official candidates during the scrutiny by the EC," Congress spokesperson B.K. Chandrashekar said.