Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday submitted his nomination for the May 10 Assembly election from his traditional Shiggaon seat in this district amid fanfare.

He was accompanied by BJP National Chairman JP Nadda and Kannada film star Sudeep as he presented his documents to the polling officer.

Bommai is seeking reelection from Shiggaon, where he has been an MLA three times since 2008.

Previously, he visited temples and also held a massive roadshow together with Nadda and Sudeep in Shiggaon.

Hundreds of people gathered as Bommai, Nadda and Sudeep rode through the streets in a specially designed vehicle, after laying garlands on the statue of Kittur Rani Chennamma, who in 1824 led an armed resistance against the British East India Company.

They later addressed a public meeting seeking votes for Bommai and the BJP.

CM, 63, the son of former Karnataka head of government and Janata Parivar veteran SR Bommai, had already submitted a series of nominations during an “auspicious muhurat” on April 15.

Congress has sent Mohammed Yousuf Savanur, Chairman of Anjuman-e-Islam in Hubballi-Dharwad, to take over as CM.

Bommai won Shiggaon in the 2018 Assembly polls by 9,260 votes.

He started his political career with Janata Dal and was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council twice (in 1998 and 2004) from the Dharwad local authorities constituency. He also served as Secretary of Parliament to the Chief Minister and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Bommai resigned from the Janata Dal (United) and joined the BJP in 2008 and in the Assembly elections held later that year he was elected MLA of Shiggaon.

He then retained the seat in the 2013 and 2018 Assembly elections.

Bommai, who served as Home Minister in the BJP government led by BS Yediyurappa, became Chief Minister in 2021 after the veteran leader stepped down.