Council polls from teachers’, graduates’ constituencies: BJP looks to retain three seats

BJP core committee meeting discusses continuing alliance with JD(S) even for the upcoming elections. However, some leaders suggest BJP retain three seats to itself

Bengaluru: With the Legislative Council election for teachers' and graduates' constituencies due this year, the BJP wants to retain three of the total four seats although the saffron party and the JD(S) are willing to field consensus candidates.

In the core committee meeting of BJP held on Monday, it was discussed to continue the alliance even for the upcoming elections. However, some of the BJP leaders suggested to retain three seats. 

According sources from the BJP, some leaders even expressed that it would be easy to win three of the four seats (two each of teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies) if contested jointly.

However, the JD(S) is planning to demand two seats: Bangalore Teachers’ and South East Graduates’ Constituencies. Of this, Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency is currently represented by Congress’ Puttanna and South East Graduates’ constituency by BJP’s Chidanand Gowda.

“Earlier, even we have won from both the constituencies and now we have eligible candidates. We will ask for these two seats,” said a senior leader of the JD(S).

Elections were held in 2020 for the West Graduates’ constituency, South East Graduates’ constituency, North East Teachers’ Constituency, and Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency. From the two graduates’ constituencies, S V Sankanur and Chidanand Gowda were elected. From the two teachers’ constituencies, Shashil Namoshi and Puttanna were elected.

All four were from the BJP but Puttanna quit the saffron party and joined the Congress. Later, he was re‑elected from the same constituency as a Congress candidate.

All their terms will end on November 11.

Elections must be held one month before the term expires.

Congress has already announced the list of candidates for all the four constituencies - Puttanna to recontest from the Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency; Mohan Limbikai from the West Graduates’ Constituency, Shashi Hulikuntemath from South East Graduates’ Constituency, and Sharanappa Mattur from the North East Teachers’ Constituency.

For the BJP, this election is a matter of prestige as it has to retain its three seats which is a major challenge.

In the 2020 elections, Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency was contested by the JD(S). This time too, the same formula is likely to continue. From the JD(S), A P Ranganath and former MLC Ramesh Gowda are aspiring to contest.

The BJP intends to secure the JD(S) support in the remaining three constituencies. For the South East Graduates’ constituency, names under discussion include Davanagere’s Suresh, party legal cell’s convener Vasanth Kumar, and Y A Narayanaswamy, in place of Chidanand Gowda.

In the West Graduates’ constituency, names of Lingaraj Patil and Jayateerth Katti, along with sitting MLC Sankanur, are being considered.

In the North East Teachers’ constituency, sitting MLC Shashil Namoshi’s is being considered.

Last time, the BJP and the JD(S) contested separately in the South East Graduates’ constituency.