The BJP released Tuesday its first list of 189 candidates for the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, fielding party veteran and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra from the Shikaripura constituency in Shivamogga, the same seat his father has won seven times since 1983. This has been the Lingayat strongman’s biggest ask and will likely boost BJP’s chances with the politically strong community, which has got 52 tickets in the first list itself. CM Basavaraj Bommai will contest as expected from his traditional Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district. To make campaigning tough for Congress, BJP has fielded two senior ministers, R Ashoka and V Somanna, against two rival stalwarts: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar, in Kanakapura constituency of Ramanagara district, and former CM and opposition leader Siddaramaiah in Varuna of Mysuru district, respectively. Ashoka and Somanna will contest from Padmanabhanagar (Bengaluru) and Chamarajnagar seats as well. That’s seen as a ploy to tie the Congress heavies to their constituencies and limit their campaigning elsewhere. A surprise is the candidate for Udupi, the city at the epicentre of last year’s hijab controversy. BJP has fielded debutant Yashpal Suvarna in place of sitting MLA Raghupathi Bhat, a three-time legislator.