The Congress has removed the candidature of HS Chandramouli for the Madikeri assembly constituency in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections and replaced him with KP Chandrakala.

In its final list released on Sunday, the Congress also announced that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would be contesting from Badami seat.

Chandramouli is the lawyer of absconding businessman Mehul Choksi, who is the uncle of PNB scam prime accused Nirav Modi.

His candidacy had triggered a controversy for the Congress, with both the Opposition parties and its own members taking on the Congress over Chandramouli.

Though reports had emerged that the party had put his candidature on hold, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill had rejected the reports in a press conference on 17 April.

“He has clarified that he has no personal relation with Nirav Modi’s uncle, Mehul Choksi,” Shergill said.

Read More: Congress says candidacy of Choksi’s lawyer from Madikeri ‘not on hold’

It is noteworthy that Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s legal advisor and party spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa had express his disappointment over Chandramouli’s candidacy in a Facebook post.

“I have been denied LS 2009, 2014. RS in 2014, 16, 18 and now Assembly,” he wrote, adding, “I will swallow the ignominy of being ousted from the race by a Person who joined the Party in 2016, got a Legislative Council Ticket the same year, lost and the same person now bags the Assembly ticket for Madikeri.”

State vice president of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Napanda Muthappa had quit Congress after Chandramouli’s name was picked for Madikeri constituency.

Madikeri assembly constituency is located in south Karnataka’s hilly Kodagu (Coorg) district.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, who has already filed nomination papers from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru – his stronghold, will contest from two seats. He replaces Dr Devraj Patil whose name was announced in the first list of 218 candidates.

Badami has a population of over 50,000, most of whom belong to the Kuruba community – to which Siddaramaiah belongs. The region also has a high population of Veerashaivas and Lingayats, to which BJP’s CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa belongs.

On 19 April, Siddaramaiah had said that the Congress high command would decide on his contesting from Badami.

“High command will decide on Badami,” Siddaramaiah,” told reporters at Mysuru.

The CM had previously stated that the Congress leaders of Badami wanted him to contest from the seat.

Read More: Karnataka Polls: Siddaramaiah focuses on Badami and Chamundeshwari seats

Siddaramaiah is a five-time MLA from Chamundeshwari but won from Varuna in the last two elections. His son, Yatindra, will be contesting from Varuna constituency.

The BJP has fielded Gopal Rao from Chamundeshwari but did not announce the names of candidates for Badami and Varuna constituencies in the three lists it has released so far.

The Congress has replaced AL Pushpa with HP Rajesh in Jagalur. It has also named Shreepada Renu from Malleshwaram Kengal in place of MR Seetharam and M Srinivas in place of B Gurappa Naidu in Padmanaba Nagar.

Dr B Inamdar will contest from Kittur, Vithal Dhondiba Katakdhond from Nagthan, MN Salli from Sindgi, Sayed Yasin from Raichur, and NA Harris from Shanti Nagar are the other candidates named in the list.