"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.

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.

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.

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.