BENGALURU: Elections to four Legislative Council seats are due since June 30, and candidates are pleading with the authorities to complete the process at the earliest. MLC retiree SV Sankanur, from the Graduates constituency representing Gadag, Dharwad, Karwar and Haveri, met Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa twice and Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar, urging them to hold elections with all safeguards. MLC retiree Puttanna, who represents Teachers constituency spread across 36 assembly constituencies in Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagara, has been campaigning briskly.
‘’I will be filing a petition in the High Court on Monday to hold elections as soon as possible,” he told TNIE. The three-term winner defected from the JDS to BJP. With the EC going ahead with Legislative Council elections in other regions, Chief Election Officer Sanjeev Kumar told TNIE, ‘’We are awaiting instructions from New Delhi, which are expected soon.’’
Meanwhile, preparations for the four seats are hotting up. JDS MLC retiree Chowda Reddy Thupalli from Graduates constituency, who is seeking re-election, said he has been extensively touring his constituency, spread across the districts of Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga and Davanagere.
Sharanappa Mattur, MLC retiree from Teachers constituency spread across the Hyderabad- Karnataka districts, too has been touring the most arid parts of Karnataka. Experts said the EC can hold elections with all necessary Covid safeguards, because these booths seldom have more than 1,000 voters. Rules can be formulated for social distancing and campaigning.
Guidelines have already been framed by the EC, Kumar said. The BJP will be seeking victory in the four Council seats. State president Nalin Kumar Kateel said they will win all four and emerge the largest party in the Upper House. The Congress will also try to retain its position as largest party with 29 seats. The JDS would like to retain its hold.