As political parties snipe at one another on perpetuation of dynastic politics, the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Karnataka will see at least three political families roughing it out in the poll arena.

While former prime minister H D Deve Gowda is seeking re-election from the Kanakpura Lok Sabha constituency, his
two sons -- H D Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna -- will bid for assembly seats from Ramanagaram and Holenarasipura respectively.

In the 1999 election all three were defeated -- Gowda was humbled in Hassan parliamentary constituency and Kumaraswamy and Revanna had lost to Congress candidates in Sathanur and Holenarasipur respectively.

Gowda was later elected to the Lok Sabha in the Kanakpura by-poll caused by the death of former Union minister M V Chandrashekhara Murthy.

In Davanagere, the father-son duo, Shamanur Shivashankarappa and Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports S S
Mallikarjun have decided to swap roles.

While Shivashankarappa, a former MP, will contest the Davangere assembly seat in the coming election, Mallikarjun will contest the Lok Sabha poll from the Davanagere parliamentary constituency.

From former chief minister S Bangarappa's family, three members will be facing the battle of ballot.

Bangarappa, who deserted the Congress and crossed over to the BJP along with his actor-turned-politician son, Kumar Bangarappa, suffered a setback when Kumar returned to the Congress a few weeks later.

Kumar quit the BJP after he was denied a ticket to contest from the Soraba assembly constituency, which went to his brother, Madhu Bangarappa.

There is speculations now that the Congress may pit Kumar against his brother in Soraba.