With little over a week away for filing of nominations to contest the Council polls, nearly three dozen aspirants have been flocking the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders for the lone seat.
While 29 first preferential votes are needed by each candidate to win, the JD(S) with its 34 members in the Assembly can win one seat while Congress can win two and BJP four. The last date for filing of nominations is June 18.
Among the contenders is sitting member T.A. Saravana, who is set to retire on June 30 along with six others. He is lobbying hard with party leaders to give him a second term, while Kupendra Reddy, who will retire as Rajya Sabha member on June 25, is also lobbying for the seat, party sources said. The party supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has filed his nomination for the party’s seat being vacated by Mr. Reddy.
A senior party leader confirmed that former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Gowda have been besieged with requests from the party hopefuls. “Many former legislators, who lost elections in 2018 have also evinced interest in entering the Council. They include Kona Reddy and Y.S.V. Datta,” the party leader said, adding that so far no decision has been made.
The party is expected to convene a meeting of legislators post June 12 in which the issue is likely to be discussed. “The BJP surprising many with their choice of grassroots workers for Rajya Sabha has had its effect. Many in JD(S) are also fancying their chances. Whether the seat will go to a grassroots worker or whether it will go to someone from North Karnataka or South Karnataka will be decided based on how it will benefit the party,” sources in the party said.
Lobbying will gather steam after the poll notification on June 11, sources expected.
Meanwhile, the senior party leader also scoffed off rumours that the party would let go its seat in favour to Congress in lieu of its support to Mr. Gowda in the Rajya Sabha elections. “The very fact that Congress’s support to Mr. Gowda came from the top did not allow any such negotiations at the State level,” he noted.
