BELAGAVI: With the tussle for a change of guard in the Congress government and demand for cabinet reshuffle taking a backseat now, political watchers in Karnataka have shifted their focus to another high-stakes battle -- the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
With intense lobbying under way and several political heavyweights vying for a berth in the Upper House, the upcoming election has sparked enormous political curiosity across the state.
According to sources, the Election Commission is likely to issue the notification on May 18 for the Rajya Sabha elections to four seats from Karnataka, which will fall vacant with the terms ending for AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and BJP leaders Iranna Kadadi and K Narayan.
With 135 MLAs in the Assembly, Congress is comfortably placed to win three seats, while the fourth is expected to go to BJP. One Congress seat is said to be almost certain for Kharge, with intense discussions under way over the remaining two candidates. Among prominent aspirants is senior Supreme Court advocate Mohan Katarki. Sources said the Congress top brass is keen on giving him a chance.
As a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, Katarki has appeared on behalf of Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Punjab in inter-state river disputes before constitutional benches and inter-state tribunals. Born in Ramdurg taluk, he has deep family roots in the Mumbai-Karnataka region.
Another aspirant is former Khanapur MLA and AICC spokesperson Dr Anjali Nimbalkar, who has increasingly become visible in Delhi’s political circles in recent months. Her growing proximity to senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has strengthened speculation over her possible elevation to the Rajya Sabha under the women’s quota.
Congress leaders from Belagavi district are said to be strongly backing Katarki, arguing that the Upper House should not be confined only to career politicians, but must also accommodate eminent professionals who have fought for Karnataka’s interests.
Sources indicated that Kharge’s return to the Rajya Sabha is almost certain, while Deve Gowda too remains a strong contender backed by the BJP-JDS alliance.
BJP is reportedly considering former Karnataka chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, though retaining Iranna Kadadi is also a possibility.