BENGALURU: The Congress party on Saturday released its first list of 124 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka, with former chief minister Siddaramaiah contesting from the Varuna constituency.

The list says that Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Sivakumar will contest the election from his Kanakapura Assembly constituency.

The party has fielded former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameswara from Koradegere (SC) constituency. Former ministers KH Muniyappa and Priyank Kharge are contesting from Devanahalli and Sitapur (SC) constituencies respectively.

Priyank is the son of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

The party’s central election committee approved the first list of candidates after a meeting in Delhi on March 17.

The committee is headed by Congress leader Kharge. Rahul Gandhi also attended this meeting.

The Congress Party is the first party to contest the Karnataka elections and has released its list of candidates. The Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule for the Southern state assembly polls.

Assembly elections are scheduled to be held by May, when the term of the Karnataka Assembly ends.

Congress is trying to wrest power from BJP in the southern state.