BENGALURU: The stage is set for biennial elections to seven MLC seats from the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday with eight candidates – five from the ruling Congress, two from BJP and one from JDS – being in the fray. KPCC president BK Hariprasad is among the five Congress candidates.
The polls will be a big test for Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, as these are his maiden polls after being elevated to the top post. He has fielded his close associate Vinay Karthik as the fifth candidate from the party.
Each candidate needs 28 votes from as many MLAs and in the 222-member House, Congress has 135 MLAs, BJP 63 – including Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy who merged his party with BJP – and JDS 18.
Apart from them, there are three independents – Darshan Puttannaiah, Puttaswamy Gowda and Latha Mallikarjun – and three MLAs expelled from BJP – ST Somashekar, Shivaram Hebbar and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.
Congress can win four seats comfortably and expect to win the fifth too with the support of three independents and the votes of Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar, who met Shivakumar at a resort in Bidadi where Congress MLAs are huddled.
Council polls likely to witness cross-voting
The ruling party expects some some disgruntled MLAs from JDS, including Chamundeshwari legislator GT Devegowda, to back their candidates or abstain from the polls. JDS, to keep its flock together, put up its MLAs at a resort in Devanahalli. Interestingly, GT Devegowda’s son and Hunsur MLA GD Harish Gowda, who has allegedly strained his relationship with his father, was made to issue the whip to party MLAs.
Congress and BJP, which held meetings at a private hotel, also issued whips to all their MLAs. As it is a secret ballot, cross-voting cannot be ruled out, sources said. Congress on Wednesday held mock voting to eliminate any risk and to weed out any possibility of invalid votes. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and AICC General Secretary, Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala too were present.
Speaking at the resort, Shivakumar alleged that some 4-5 Congress MLAs, including Molakalmuru legislator NY Gopalakrishna, received calls from the JDS leadership.
But Union Minister and JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy dismissed the allegation. “We are a small party. What can we do as the government is in their (Congress) hands. They have all the manpower, muscle power and money power. How can we fight them? We have fielded a candidate as our party’s votes should not be scattered. Our candidate has sought a conscience vote. I have also appealed to BJP leaders to transfer surplus votes to our candidate,” he said.
Asked if internal bickering within Congress could turn out to be a blessing, Kumaraswamy said, “That is God’s will if it works out that way. It will help checkmate the government from going unruly.”
BJP held a meeting of its MLAs under the leadership of its state president BY Vijayendra and leader of opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka and discussed the strategy for the MLC polls. JDS leaders, including MLC SL Bhoje Gowda, were present.
Congress is likely to fix 29 preference votes, out of 140, to its four candidates -- BK Hariprasad, Tappanappa Kamakanuru, PV Mohan and BS Shivanna (Malavalli Shivanna) -- and the 24 surplus votes to Vinay Karthik, who will also get second preferential votes. Fixing 29 votes as against the 28 required helps the value of second preferential votes to be taken into account as per the formula. It is to be seen if Vinay garners second preferential votes and also gets cross votes from opposition party MLAs.
BJP is also expected to fix 29 votes, out of 63, to its candidates -- Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Koutilya -- and shift the remaining five to JDS candidate Inchara Govindaraju taking the tally to 23. That is if there is no cross-voting or abstentions from JDS MLAs. Kumaraswamy has reportedly sought the support of Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.
