Bommai keen to finalise RS, MLC poll candidates before he leaves for Davos summit

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday met BJP Karnataka General Secretary and in-charge Arun Singh to discuss candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections.

However, no discussions took place on the pending cabinet rejig.

The CM, who came to Delhi on Friday, met Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and held discussions. He also met Arun Singh on Saturday and spoke to him about the discussions on candidates in the party's state core committee.

"Though I had planned to meet Home Minister Amit Shah, we couldn't as he was busy. However, I spoke to him over the phone about party candidates. He asked me to speak to Arun Singh and I met him," the CM told reporters in Delhi.

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BJP leaders will send the list of candidates in a day or two, he said.

Sources close to Bommai told DH that the CM is keen on finalising candidates before he departs for the Davos World Economic Forum meeting on Sunday morning.

While the last date for filing nominations for council polls is May 24, the last date for nominations for Rajya Sabha seats is May 31. The elections to the council will be held on June 3 and for the Rajya Sabha seats on June 10.

Election will be held for four Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP is confident of winning two seats comfortably while it hopes it can win one with support from the JD(S).

The state BJP unit has already recommended over a dozen names to the central election panel for the seven council seats. These include BY Vijayendra, state BJP vice-president and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s son.

Since the seven MLCs are elected by MLAs, the BJP, given its strength in the Assembly, can win four seats, the Congress two and the JD(S) one.