<p>"I welcome the selection of Hema Malini for the Rajya Sabha seat. The party High Command decided on her candidature after consulting me", Yeddyurappa told reporters here during a brief stop over enroute to Raichur.<br /><br />Reports suggested that BJP High Command ignored the views of Yeddyurappa in selecting her and decided unilaterally to field the 63-year-old artiste for the March three election for the lone seat.<br /><br />Hema Malini is likely to be elected unopposed going by the numerical strength of BJP, which has 107 members support in the truncated 224-member assembly with 19 vacancies. Congress has 71 members and JDS 27.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa had reportedly pitched for the candidature of former Union Minister V Dhananjayakumar,who is now Karnataka's special representative in New Delhi, a post in the cabinet rank. The bye-election was necessitated to fill up the vacancy caused by the death of M Rajsekhara Murthy of JDS.</p>
<p>"I welcome the selection of Hema Malini for the Rajya Sabha seat. The party High Command decided on her candidature after consulting me", Yeddyurappa told reporters here during a brief stop over enroute to Raichur.<br /><br />Reports suggested that BJP High Command ignored the views of Yeddyurappa in selecting her and decided unilaterally to field the 63-year-old artiste for the March three election for the lone seat.<br /><br />Hema Malini is likely to be elected unopposed going by the numerical strength of BJP, which has 107 members support in the truncated 224-member assembly with 19 vacancies. Congress has 71 members and JDS 27.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa had reportedly pitched for the candidature of former Union Minister V Dhananjayakumar,who is now Karnataka's special representative in New Delhi, a post in the cabinet rank. The bye-election was necessitated to fill up the vacancy caused by the death of M Rajsekhara Murthy of JDS.</p>