The first list of BJP, comprising 72 candidates, for the upcoming May 12 Karnataka assembly elections has been released. For the 224 assembly seats in the southern state, the committee under the party`s national president, Amit Shah, along with others key members including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met in New Delhi to finalise the list. The BJP in a statement released by its state unit in Bengaluru stated.

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Prominent names finalised in the list are the party`s chief ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa from Shikaripura, K.S. Eshwarappa from Shivamogga, Jagadish Shettar from Hubli-Dharwad Central, Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon, C.M. Udasi from Hangal, K.V. Hegde from Sirsi and B. Sriramulu from Molakalmuru (reserved).

Of the 224 assembly segments across the state, 173 are general, 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes (STs). 

Of the 72 contestants, the names of only three women candidates, Sashikala Jolle from Nippani assembly segment in the state`s north-west region, Roopali Naik from Karwar in the coastal area and Poornima Srinivas from Hiriyur in central part, have been finalised.

Sashikala is re-contesting from the same seat, while Roopali is a former civic corporator in Bengaluru and Poornima is the party`s women wing`s secretary.

In the outgoing assembly, the BJP has 48 legislators, including four from the Karnataka Janata Party, a regional outfit, Yeddyurappa floated in December 2012 after he left the party owing to his removal as its first Chief Minister in the state following his indictment by the state ombudsman in the multi-crore mining scam that also rocked its first government in south India.

(With Agency Inputs)