BENGALURU: The Congress has announced the party’s four nominees for the State Legislative Council.
They are: Dinesh Amin Mattu, media advisor to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah; Arathi Krishna, deputy chairperson, Karnataka NRI Forum; Ramesh Babu, chairman, the party media cell; and Sagar, Dalit leader.
The names were cleared by the party high command. They would be sworn-in after getting the assent of governor.
With their swearing-in, Congress will have 37 members in the 75-member House, the same as the BJP-JDS combine.
All eyes are now on the independent, Lakhan Jarkiholi, brother of minister Satish Jarkiholi. Lakhan’s vote could shatter or solidify the balance of power in the House. If the Congress wins him over, the party will seize both the chairman and deputy chairman posts, currently held by the BJP.
It was Lakhan’s brother, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who toppled the Congress coalition by defecting to the BJP. Ramesh might yet convince Lakhan to back the BJP-JDS alliance, ensuring status quo.
There has been a precedent of having a person from another party as chairman of the Upper House. When Ramakrishna Hegde was the CM, Congress member Rehman Khan was chairman for about two years.
If the Congress does get Lakhan’s vote, the question is who will become chairman and deputy chairman.
Veteran BK Hariprasad was once seen as a frontrunner. Now he has been elevated as the party general secretary for Haryana. There is no clarity on what his next role could be.
Minister Bose Raju, Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed and former minister Nasir Ahmed could emerge as choices, as sources say the party would assign roles according to its priorities.