Bengaluru, 24 Oct

JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy was on Thursday announced as the NDA candidate for 13 November Assembly bypolls from Channapatna, a seat vacated by his father and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy after being elected to Lok Sabha.

The 36-year-old is pitted against five-time MLA from the segment and former minister CP Yogeeshwara of Congress, who joined the party after quitting BJP on Wednesday.

Nikhil's mother Anitha Kumaraswamy, a former MLA, had unsuccessfully contested from the seat in 2013, and faced defeat against Yogeeshwara, a political heavyweight in the constituency.

A meeting was held with alliance partner BJP, at veteran leader BS Yediyurappa's residence on Thursday, before Nikhil's name was formally announced. "Together we will tour Channapatna and he (Nikhil) will win with a big margin," said Yediyurappa, flanked by Kumaraswamy, Nikhil and other BJP-JD(S) leaders.

This is the third electoral battle for the actor-turned politician grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. He had unsuccessfully contested 2023 Assembly elections from Ramanagara and 2019 General Elections from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. —PTI