<p>Congress’ incumbent Tumkur MP S P Muddahanumegowda withdrew his nomination to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election on Friday, providing respite for the Congress-JD(S) coalition.</p>.<p>This clears the path for JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda’s candidature against the BJP’s GS Basavaraju. </p>.<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi personally reached out to Muddahanumegowda asking him to withdraw his nomination. Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao visited Muddahanumegowda at his Bengaluru residence and held talks.</p>.<p>Muddahanumegowda was hurt when he became the only Congress MP who was denied the ticket as Tumkur was conceded to the JD(S). As a result, he decided to contest from Tumkur and filed his nomination both as a Congress candidate and as an independent. </p>.<p>Friday was the last date for candidates to withdraw their nomination for the 14 seats that go to polls on April 18, including Tumkur.</p>.<p>In what was seen as a final show of protest, Muddahanumegowda did not personally withdraw his nomination papers, sending instead his close associate Rayasandra Ravi Kumar to the election authorities’ office to do so.</p>.<p>Muddahanumegowda’s supporter, former legislator K N Rajanna also withdrew his nomination as an independent candidate.</p>.<p>The Congress-JD(S) coalition was worried that Muddahanumegowda’s contest would have spelt trouble for Deve Gowda by causing a split in the Vokkaliga votes. The BJP has fielded Basavaraju, a Lingayat.</p>
<p>Congress’ incumbent Tumkur MP S P Muddahanumegowda withdrew his nomination to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election on Friday, providing respite for the Congress-JD(S) coalition.</p>.<p>This clears the path for JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda’s candidature against the BJP’s GS Basavaraju. </p>.<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi personally reached out to Muddahanumegowda asking him to withdraw his nomination. Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao visited Muddahanumegowda at his Bengaluru residence and held talks.</p>.<p>Muddahanumegowda was hurt when he became the only Congress MP who was denied the ticket as Tumkur was conceded to the JD(S). As a result, he decided to contest from Tumkur and filed his nomination both as a Congress candidate and as an independent. </p>.<p>Friday was the last date for candidates to withdraw their nomination for the 14 seats that go to polls on April 18, including Tumkur.</p>.<p>In what was seen as a final show of protest, Muddahanumegowda did not personally withdraw his nomination papers, sending instead his close associate Rayasandra Ravi Kumar to the election authorities’ office to do so.</p>.<p>Muddahanumegowda’s supporter, former legislator K N Rajanna also withdrew his nomination as an independent candidate.</p>.<p>The Congress-JD(S) coalition was worried that Muddahanumegowda’s contest would have spelt trouble for Deve Gowda by causing a split in the Vokkaliga votes. The BJP has fielded Basavaraju, a Lingayat.</p>
