Four seats, five candidates: Karnataka Rajya Sabha polls may see climax

Bengaluru: Elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka on February 27 will be a potboiler with the BJP-JD(S) combine Thursday fielding a fifth candidate aimed at upsetting the ruling Congress and throwing open the possibility of cross-voting.

D Kupendra Reddy, a former Rajya Sabha MP from the JD(S), filed his nomination as the fifth candidate.

Earlier, Congress candidates Ajay Maken, GC Chandrashekhar and Syed Nasir Hussain filed their papers. BJP’s Narayansa Bhandage also submitted his nomination.

Thursday was the last date for candidates to file their papers.

MLAs vote to elect members to the Rajya Sabha. A candidate needs 45 votes to win. Of the four Rajya Sabha seats going to polls, the Congress can win three with 135 MLAs, provided nobody cross-votes.

The BJP, with 66 MLAs, can get Bhandage elected and will be left with 21 votes. The JD(S) has 19 MLAs.

If there were only four candidates, an election would not have been necessary. But Reddy in the fray forces an election. Preferential votes will determine the outcome of the result.

Votes of four MLAs - Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha’s Darshan Puttannaiah (Melkote), Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha’s G Janardhana Reddy (Gangavathi), Independents Latha Mallikarjun (Harapanahalli) and KH Puttaswamy Gowda (Gauribidanur) - will become crucial.

Reddy said he needs four additional votes to win. “I’m contesting as the NDA candidate. I’m 150 per cent confident of winning,” he said, without elaborating.

JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy said Reddy was fielded based on the advice of BJP leaders. “I know there are doubts about numbers. Everything will be clear after the election results,” he said. “JD(S) has 19 MLAs. BJP, after ensuring one victory, will be left with additional votes. We didn't want Opposition votes to go to waste.”

While Reddy's risks defeat, the BJP-JD(S) combine is said to be expecting ‘conscience’ votes. BJP state president BY Vijayendra said his party and JD(S) will chalk out its plans to ensure Reddy’s victory.

Unfazed by the Opposition’s move, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the Rajya Sabha elections will be “a display of unity” by Congress. “We have sufficient votes. Our three candidates will get elected to the Rajya Sabha and work for justice to the state,” Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress president, said.

On ‘conscience’ votes, Shivakumar said: “JD(S) has failed. That's why they've tied up with BJP. I'm confident we'll get their conscience votes.”