J Shantha  

After a defeat in Ballari which witnessed the ouster of BJP candidate J Shantha in November in the by-election, the BJP seems to be ready to snatch the seat from Congress- JD(S) alliance. The BJP reportedly is planning to field Suresh Babu, former MLA from Kampli against Congress in May 2019.
 

When Sriramulu was a BJP MP, he was seen wishing people of Ballari in Karnataka during Tipu Jayanti. He changed his stand subsequently. He took no clear position on the Lingayat issue. Besides MLA Sriramulu's ideological confusion, the party's Ballari candidate J Shantha might have lost the by-election also because some party leaders in other parts of Karnataka were equally listless.
 

Ramanagara JD(S) candidate, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha Kumaswamy paid a visit to Kampanahalli village Koti Anjenayaswamy temple; Yeddyurappa along with son and candidate from Shivamogga visited Hucharaya Swamy temple.

Karnataka by-election: Pink booth in Ballari saw a long queue of men and women waiting to cast their votes.
 

Former Karnataka minister Janardhan Reddy accused DK Shivakumar of distributing money  to voters in Ballari for the upcoming by-election. 'DK Shivakumar is free and I will wait till he comes and I will expose  him,' said Reddy.