NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy offers prayers ahead of nomination filing

Bengaluru: National Democratic Alliance candidate for Channapatna Assembly bypoll Nikhil Kumarswamy on Friday offered prayers at the Thirumalagiri Shri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Swamy temple in Bengaluru ahead of filing nominations for the upcoming Channapatna by-poll.
Kumarswamy's wife Revathi, Union Minister HD Kumarswamy and grandfather and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda were also present during. .
Nikhil Kumaraswamy expressed his happiness on getting the chance to fight in the elections.
Speaking to ANI, he said "Today is a very big day for us. A lot of recent updates have taken place. I am happy I got the chance to fight for the seat. All the workers are with me in this fight. I am sure people will also bless me."
Union Minister HD Kumarswamy expressed that the party wanted to win the elections.
Speaking to ANI, he said "Our party wants to win the elections. Our party workers unitedly will fight this battle and ultimately win."
On October 24, Nikhil Kumaraswamy was fielded for the upcoming Channapatna by-poll.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is also the JD(S) State Youth Unit President, will be competing against CP Yogeshwara, who joined the Congress on Wednesday after resigning as BJP MLC on Monday.
Notably, HD Kumaraswamy (HDK) defeated Yogeeshwara in the 2018 and 2023 assembly polls from the seat. The seat fell vacant after HDK won from the Mandya parliamentary segment in the last Lok Sabha polls
The announcement was made by former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa during a press conference. He also expressed confidence that the alliance would win all three seats in the upcoming by-polls.
"We have announced Nikhil Kumaraswamy as NDA candidate. We are going to win all three seats... We are announcing, with the blessings of the high command leaders, that we field him. We'll meet after we win 100 per cent...I don't speak about who left the party; we will do whatever is required to make sure Nikhil Kumaraswamy wins," he said.
Following the announcement, Nikhil Kumaraswamy said, "I have been touring Panchayati Headquarters in my constituency and that is only because Kumaraswamy ji said that we should take all the workers and leaders into confidence. I have been doing my work as a Karyakarta and with the recent political developments that have taken place, the NDA has given me an opportunity. I have a lot of confidence in the Channapatna constituency people. They will bless me."
Voting for the first phase, covering 47 Assembly constituencies and the Wayanad parliamentary seat in Kerala will take place on November 13. The second phase will occur on November 20 for the Kedarnath Assembly constituency in Uttarakhand and the Nanded parliamentary seat in Maharashtra. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.