5 candidates file nominations for RS polls from Karnataka

Three ruling Congress candidates and one each from BJP and JDS filed their nominations today for the March 23 biennial election to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka that will fall vacant early next month following the retirement of members.

The Congress has fielded Dr L Hanumanthaiah, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain and G C Chandrasekhar.

BJP has nominated Rajeev Chandrashekar, who was an independent Rajya Sabha member and joined the party today, and the JDS, B M Farooq.

Today was the last day for filing nominations.

The Congress and BJP announced the list of candidates only yesterday.

While Farooq filed his nominationpapers before Assembly Secretary S Murthy, who is also thereturning officer on Friday, he filed another set of nomination papers today.
 

Polling will be held on March 23 and the results are expected to be declared the same evening.

With their current strength in the assembly, two candidates of the Congress and one from BJP can getelected comfortably.

However, the fight will be between the third candidate of the Congress and JDS's Farooq.

Here too the arithmetic favours Congress, with the party hoping for support from seven rebel JDS MLAs, who are expected to join the party after the Rajya Sabha polls.

It also expects support of MLAs from smaller parties- B R Patil (KJP), B Nagendra (independent) and Ashok Kheny (KMP), who have recently joined the Congress.

According to reports, Congress' decision to field its third candidate came as a blow to JDS that had hoped Congress would support its candidate, keeping the larger picture of the post poll scenario after the assembly elections in mind.

Assembly elections is Karnataka are expected in April/May.

In the 224-member assembly, each candidate willrequire 44 votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat.

At present the party wise strength in the assembly is Congress-122, BJP-43, JDS-37, BSR Congress-3, KJP-2, KMP-1, independents-8, Speaker-1, nominated-1, vacant-7.

Farooq, who had earlier too contested from JDS during the biennial elections to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka in June 2016, had lost, as eight MLAs from the partyvoted in support of Congress candidate.