Mangaluru (PTI): The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has decided to field six candidates in the twin coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, to make its presence felt in the region.

The SDPI had already decided on 16 candidates in the state and the nomination process was already on, party state general secretary Abdul Latheef Puttur told PTI. Two more candidates are likely be fielded by the party in the state.

Though the party does not entertain any high hopes of winning in the coastal belt, it wants to register its presence in its strongholds.

Puttur said the party was contesting where it has strong influence. “We are a party registered with the Election Commission and will field candidates in places where we have support,” he said when asked about the complaint from the anti-BJP opposition that the SDPI move would split minority votes.

Puttur said the party would have to keep its cadres together and active during the elections. The SDPI governs three panchayats in Ullal, has six members in the Ullal city municipal council and two corporators in Mangaluru city corporation, he said.

The SDPI leader said the Congress was spreading the propaganda that the split in minority votes would help the BJP only in the coastal region, as they are influenced by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) which is strong in the neighbouring state of Kerala.

The Congress had become politically bankrupt, he alleged and said SDPI would always hold on to its principled position.

SDPI has fielded five candidates in Dakshina Kannada district including Shafi Bellare, an accused in the BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru murder case, from Puttur constituency. The party holds the view that c was framed in the murder case in which he had no role.

In Mangaluru, SDPI has nominated its national secretary Riyaz Farangipete, while another secretary Elyaz Mohammed Thumbe has been fielded from Bantwal. Two former ministers from Congress, U T Khader and B Ramanath Rai, are contesting from these seats.

Other candidates in Dakshina Kannada are Akbar Ali (Belthangady) and Alfonso Franko from Moodbidri. Haneef Mooloor, contesting from Kaup, is the party’s sole candidate in Udupi district.

Other party candidates in the state are Abdul Majeed, party state president contesting from Narasimharaja, Ameen Mohsin (Madikeri), Abdul Hanann (Sarvajnanagar), Bhaskar Prasad (Pulkeshinagar), Yemunappa Gunadar (Terdal), Ismail Zabiulla (Davanagere South), Ishaq Hussain (Raichur city), Srinivas Balekai (Chitradurga), Vijay Guntral (Hubballi East) and Angadi Chandru (Mudigere).

Puttur said the party was optimistic about the prospects of its state president Abdul Majeed, who is contesting the Narasimharaja seat in Mysuru, where he had received 33,000 votes in the 2018 elections.