BENGALURU/VIJAYAPURA : Former state cricketer Prakash Rathod and entrepreneur U B Venkatesh have entered the Legislative Council as nominated members. A formal notification on their appointment by Governor Vajubhai Vala was issued by Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.The council had three vacant slots under the category of nominated members, which the coalition partners Congress and JD(S) shared on a 2:1 basis. While the Congress has now filled its quota, JD(S) has decided to nominate its member to the Council after the November 3 bypolls for three Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats.
While Rathod has been nominated in recognition of his contribution to sports as a cricketer, Venkatesh has been made the MLC under the category of social service.Venkatesh is a loyalist of Mallikajrun Kharge, the Congress floor leader in Lok Sabha, and was actively involved in getting Sowmya Reddy, the daughter of former minister Ramalinga Reddy, elected from Jayanagar Assembly constituency recently.
This will be Rathod’s second stint in the Council. He had also tied his luck in electoral politics earlier by contesting in three Lok Sabha and one Assembly election in Vijayapura district but didn’t manage to win. His selection is being seen as part of the party’s plans to prevent him from demanding a ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Rathod said, “The party will decide the candidate for Lok Sabha. The district leaders have not even planned a meeting to discuss the Parliament elections. Therefore, it is not appropriate to comment on the issue at this stage,” said Rathod, who played for India in the Under-19 category.
He became a part of the state cricket team at a very young age, and played all the junior tournaments from 1976. Representing Karnataka at the highest level for seven years, he was also a part of the state team that won the Ranji Trophy in 1983. The governor is also said to have approved the nomination of Vinisha Nero to the Legislative Assembly as the member from the Anglo-Indian community. A formal notification in this regard is expected to be issued soon.
Confusion over JD(S) nominee
Confusion rules in JD(S) over the party’s choice for its quota of one MLC seat under the nomination category. While former MLC Ramesh Babu and former MLA Konareddy are among the main contenders, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s statement on Monday in Shivamogga expressing his readiness to nominate Congress veteran Kagodu Thimmappa to the Council has stirred confusion among the party aspirants.Kumaraswamy has decided to recommend his party’s choice for the seat after the November 3 bypolls.