JDS party names Ashraf Alikunhi as candidate for Belthangady Assembly constituency

Team Udayavani, Apr 20, 2023, 2:47 PM IST

In a surprising turn of events, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and State President C M Ibrahim have nominated rural journalist Ashraf Alikunhi Mundaje to contest from the Belthangady Assembly constituency on behalf of the Janata Dal Secular Party in the upcoming 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly General Election.

Mundaje was handed over the official ‘B Form’ in the presence of party leaders on April 20, and he submitted his nomination papers at 2:15 PM.

Mundaje, who has been recognized as a rural journalist for the past 23 years, has been working as a reporter for various media outlets, including Jai Kannada weekly, Karavali Ale newspaper and currently serves as an amateur journalist for Jayakirana.

Born to Alikunhi and K Nefeesa in the village of Mundaje, he comes from a very poor background.

The Belthangadi Assembly Constituency has become a field of interest, with sitting MLA Harish Poonja as the BJP candidate, Rakshit Shivaram from the Congress Party, Akbar Belthangady from SDPI, Aditya Nathayana Kollaje from Sarvodaya Karnataka Party, Shailesh RJ from Tuluvere Party, and Mahesh of Koyur submitting his nomination as a non-party candidate.