Mysuru: Now, it's official. As many as 22 candidates including sitting BJP Member of Parliament Pratap Simha and Congress candidate C H Vijayashankar will be contesting the Mysuru Lok Sabha election which will be held on April 18. With Friday being the last day to withdraw, three Independents – P.S. Yadoorappa, Khaleel M. and Srinivas M. – have withdrawn their nominations, according to Abhiram G. Sankar, Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Mysuru. Thirty candidates had submitted 50 nominations for the Mysuru seat. The campaign is expected to pick up momentum from Saturday.

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Among the 30 candidates, who had filed 50 nomination papers to contest for Mysuru Lok Sabha election, the nominations of five candidates were rejected and 25 of them found valid. Among the 25 valid candidates, three of them, all independent candidates, P S Yeddyurappa, Khalid Ahmed, and M Srinivas withdrew their nominations on Friday, March 29. Among the 22 candidates who are in the fray, three are women. Top leaders and star campaigners were expected to land in Mysuru in April for campaigning.

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