BENGALURU: The Congress has chosen backward community leader B K Hariprasad, a Rajya Sabha retiree, and minority leader Naseer Ahmed, for the Legislative Council elections scheduled to be held on June 29. This will be Ahmed’s second term.
Hariprasad lost an opportunity to return to the Rajya Sabha, after the Congress leadership handpicked Mallikarjun Kharge for the Upper House. The JDS is said to have chosen Govindraj, a businessman from Kolar district, who was formerly a KSRTC employee. After seeking voluntary retirement, he set up a finance business and hatchery in Kolar, and is said to be close to former CM HD Kumaraswamy.
Sources close to Govindraj said that he is filing his nomination on Thursday morning, as instructed by the party leadership. But sources within the party said that Rajya Sabha retiree Kupendra Reddy has not given up and cannot be ruled out of the race, and things could still change as a JDLP meeting is slated for 11 am.Hariprasad, Naseer Ahmed, the JDS nominee and the four BJP candidates are due to file their nominations on Thursday morning. Senior party leaders are expected to accompany the candidates, and each nomination will be signed by 10 MLAs from their respective parties.
Traffic pile-up expected
Thursday being the last day to file nominations, there is expected to be a traffic pile-up outside the secretariat office, where nominations are to be filed, only between 11 am and 3 pm. Secretariat sources said the JDS candidate will file his papers at 11 am sharp, and the BJP is due to come in at 11.30am. The
Congress has sought time between 12 noon and 1 pm.
BJP top brass okays state unit picks
The BJP, on Wednesday night, announced names of four candidates for the Legislative Council polls. Prathap Simha Nayak, MTB Nagaraj, R Shankar and Sunil Vallyapure will contest the polls and are sure to be elected. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had batted for three of the four candidates, while the Sangh and the party had backed Prathap Simha Nayak, a district-level office bearer.