BENGALURU: If everything goes as expected, the Congress might gain the upper hand in the Legislative Council, and with this, the chairman’s post is likely to go to the party.
In the next few weeks, with the terms of many sitting MLCs ending, polls will be held for 18 Council seats, including Teachers and Graduates constituencies.
At present, there are 70 MLCs in the 75-member House, including the Council chairman, as a few of them resigned from their posts a few months ago. With this, 18 posts will fall vacant in June. While 11 of them have been elected by MLAs, six are from Teachers and Graduates constituencies. With 136 MLAs in the Assembly, Congress has the upper hand and can elect eight MLCs, while the BJP-JDS alliance might get four.
Meanwhile, the ECI has issued a poll notification for six seats -- three each for Teachers and Graduates. At present, Congress holds one seat, and the remaining five are represented by BJP and JDS MLCs. Congress leaders are hoping to get more seats from here.
Sources in the Congress said many bills passed in the Assembly get stuck in the Council as the Congress does not have a majority in the Upper House. “All these days, we had 29 MLCs among 75 members. But if we get eight to nine seats more, we will be in a majority and can pass bills,” sources said. It also means that Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti might lose his chair.
Now that Lok Sabha polls are over in Karnataka, political parties are not in the mood to take a break. Congress has already announced names of candidates for Teachers and Graduates constituencies.
On the other hand, BJP has not announced the names of its candidates. BJP state president BY Vijayendra told TNIE that the party has already recommended two or three names for each constituency. Party leaders in Delhi are expected to give final names in a day.