BENGALURU: Stage is set for the election to the four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka with Congress and BJP announcing their candidates on Sunday. The polls will be held on March 23.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has succeeded in ensuring complete local representation in selection of candidates as the party has chosen former MLC L Hanumanthaiah, AICC spokesperson Syed Naseer Hussain and KPCC general secretary G C Chandreshekar as its candidates. BJP has decided to field Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The selection comes in the backdrop of interest shown by AICC president Rahul Gandhi to field Sam Pitroda, technocrat and staunch loyalist of former PM Rajeev Gandhi, and AICC General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi from Karnataka. However, Siddaramaiah, according to sources, had strongly batted against fielding “any outsiders”. It is said the state Congress unit was of the view that representation for “outsiders” could present the opposition parties with an issue to attack Congress by invoking the sentiments of “Kannadiga pride”.
Congress, with its strength of 122 in the state assembly, is in a position to win three seats. A candidate needs 44 votes to win and Congress is confident of winning three seats comfortably as the party can count on the support of some independents and 7 JD(S) rebel MLAs.
Congress decision to field 3 candidates has crashed the hopes of JD(S) to win one seat with Congress support. JD(S) has fielded B M Farooq.
Third term for Rajeev
BJP has decided to field Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka. Rajeev, who is seeking a third term for Rajya Sabha, was earlier elected to the House of Elders in Parliament as an independent with BJP support in 2006 and 2012.