<p>Infighting in the BJP may impact the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka as former chief minister B S Yedyyurappa and national general secretary Ananth Kumar are set to oppose each others’ candidates.<br /><br /></p>.<p>There is also demand within the party cadres that “a genuine Kannadiga” be given RS ticket and not a outsiders like actress Hema Malini or even Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who earlier won as an independent candidate with the BJP support. <br /><br />The BJP, with the support of Ananth Kumar-Yeddyurappa combine, had sent senior party leader from AP, M Venkaih Naidu in 1998 and 2004 to the Upper House from Karnataka. This combination is now working in opposite directions.<br /><br />According to sources, Hema Malini and Jagdish Shettar, a Kannadiga and BJP’s national executive member have met party president Nitin Gadkari and got “assurance for consideration.” Malini is learnt to have sought a ticket even from another states. Shettar is being backed by the RSS, sources said.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa, who holds loyalty of a substantial number of MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly, could play a decisive role in the election of second or third RS candidate from the state. The BJP high command was said to be looking into a list of names that includes Sudheendra Kulkarni, who is a close aide of then prime minister A B Vajpayee.<br /><br />The BJP, with its strength, can win two seats and is in a position to transfer surplus votes to a third candidate.<br /><br />Lobbying for the Congress ticket from the state has started in right earnest, party sources maintained. The key question is will K Rahman Khan, deputy chairman of RS get nomination again. While former minister C K Jaffer Sharief is also said to be one of the aspirants, Congress sources said the party may also consider AICC general secretary B K Hariprasad for the lone seat which it is certain to win.</p>
<p>Infighting in the BJP may impact the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka as former chief minister B S Yedyyurappa and national general secretary Ananth Kumar are set to oppose each others’ candidates.<br /><br /></p>.<p>There is also demand within the party cadres that “a genuine Kannadiga” be given RS ticket and not a outsiders like actress Hema Malini or even Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who earlier won as an independent candidate with the BJP support. <br /><br />The BJP, with the support of Ananth Kumar-Yeddyurappa combine, had sent senior party leader from AP, M Venkaih Naidu in 1998 and 2004 to the Upper House from Karnataka. This combination is now working in opposite directions.<br /><br />According to sources, Hema Malini and Jagdish Shettar, a Kannadiga and BJP’s national executive member have met party president Nitin Gadkari and got “assurance for consideration.” Malini is learnt to have sought a ticket even from another states. Shettar is being backed by the RSS, sources said.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa, who holds loyalty of a substantial number of MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly, could play a decisive role in the election of second or third RS candidate from the state. The BJP high command was said to be looking into a list of names that includes Sudheendra Kulkarni, who is a close aide of then prime minister A B Vajpayee.<br /><br />The BJP, with its strength, can win two seats and is in a position to transfer surplus votes to a third candidate.<br /><br />Lobbying for the Congress ticket from the state has started in right earnest, party sources maintained. The key question is will K Rahman Khan, deputy chairman of RS get nomination again. While former minister C K Jaffer Sharief is also said to be one of the aspirants, Congress sources said the party may also consider AICC general secretary B K Hariprasad for the lone seat which it is certain to win.</p>
