Karnataka MLC poll: All 18 nominations in West Graduates' seat declared valid

All 18 candidates who filed nominations for the election to the Karnataka Legislative Council's West Graduates' constituency have cleared scrutiny, the office of the Returning Officer said on Wednesday. A total of 36 sets of nomination papers were examined and found to be in order.

The scrutiny was carried out by K.M. Janaki, Regional Commissioner of Belagavi and Returning Officer for the constituency, in the presence of Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Snehal R. and election observer Manoj Jain, according to an official release.

With all papers validated, candidates now have time until October 9 to withdraw their nominations. The final list of contestants will be drawn up after that deadline.

Graduates' constituencies are a distinct feature of India's state Legislative Councils. Voters in these seats must hold a graduate degree, and the rolls are maintained separately from the general electoral rolls. The West Graduates' constituency covers four districts — Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Uttara Kannada. Nominations for the seat were accepted between September 29 and October 6.

The contest is expected to be led by two well-known figures. S.V. Sankanur, a two-time Member of the Legislative Council, is seeking a third term as the candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress has fielded advocate and former MLC Mohan Limbikai against him.

R.M. Kuberappa, who contested the Teachers' Constituency election twice as a BJP candidate and later stood as a Congress candidate, is in the fray this time as an Independent. Student leader Kanthakumar R. is also contesting.

Among the other party candidates are Nishant Shankar Bankapur of Haveri district, representing the Karnataka Rashtra Samithi; Mallikarjun Channappa Gangadhar of Dharwad district, of the Kittur Kalyana Karnataka Sena; and Talawar Shivakumar of Haveri district, of the Janata Chaluvali Bharat Party.

The Independents in the race are Abdul Mannan, Imran Kudal, Dr. G.H. Imrapur, Umesh Krishnappa Daivajna, Krishna H. Balegar, Kanthakumar R., Jishan D. Sirsangi, Zeeshan Ahmed Khan Pathan, Basavaraj Shankarappa Kotagi, Saleem Mohammed Haneef Jawali, Suresh S. Bishtanagoudar and Santosh Manohar Vernekar.

The scrutiny stage is a routine but important step in the election process, allowing officials to check whether nomination papers meet the requirements of the Representation of the People Act and the rules framed for Council elections. Papers can be rejected at this stage for defects such as incomplete declarations or a candidate being ineligible to contest. In this case, no papers were rejected.

After the withdrawal window closes on October 9, the Returning Officer will publish the final list of candidates and allot election symbols. The outcome will be decided by graduates registered as voters across the four districts of the constituency.