The elections to the Legislative Council from the Legislative Assembly took an interesting turn on the last day of filing nomination papers on Tuesday, with the principal Opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, fielding its second candidate despite not having the numbers in the Lower House.
Lehar Singh Siroya, whose term as nominated MLC ended on May 28, filed nomination papers as the party’s second candidate on Tuesday.
A candidate needs 29 votes for victory in the elections. While the elections are being held for the seven seats, the ruling Congress has fielded four candidates as its numerical strength in the Assembly is adequate to ensure their victory. But the Janata Dal (S), which can elect only one candidate, has fielded a second candidate too.
In fact, JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday said he would seek the support of the BJP for ensuring the victory of his party’s second candidate. However, within 24 hours of the JD(S) fielding its second candidate, the BJP too fielded its second candidate.
While there is time till June 3 for the withdrawal of the nominations, the BJP move is being seen as a political strategy to strengthen its position when JD(S) comes to the table for negotiations. Both the parties, however, are said to be keen on having a “mutual understanding” especially as they have now set their eyes on wresting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council from the Congress.
The JD(S), which has fielded industrialist B.M. Farooq, brother of Congress MLA Mohiuddin Bava, as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election, is in a spot of bother as the Congress is now eying the party’s five rebel MLAs as well as the legislators from the smaller parties to ensure the victory of its own third candidate.
Meanwhile, the former Minister V. Somanna, whose term as an MLC will end on June 14, filed nomination papers as the BJP’s first candidate. According to sources, Mr. Somanna managed to get the party ticket despite opposition by BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa as various other senior leaders backed him.
Congress candidate Allum Veerabhadrappa and R.B. Thimmapur also filed nomination papers for the Council elections and the party’s three candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls — Jairam Ramesh, Oscar Fernandes and K.C. Ramamurthy — too filed their second set of nomination papers on Tuesday.
While the Council elections are scheduled for June 10, polling for the Rajya Sabha elections will be held on June 11.
