Rajya Sabha elections: Intense lobbying for tickets starts

With the Election Commission of India scheduled to hold elections for four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka on June 19, political leaders are doing intense lobbying for their party tickets.

Four sitting Upper House members B K Hari Prasad, Rajeev Gowda M V from Congress, Prabhakar Kore from BJP and D Kupendra Reddy from JD (S) will retire on June 25.

For winning each seat total 44 MLAs votes required in the Assembly strength of 224. The BJP, which is ruling in the state, is hoping to win two seats easiely as it has 117 MLAs, while Congress can win one seat with its 68 MLAs. However for fourth seat, both BJP and Congress fall short of numbers.

The JD (S), having 34 MLAs, is planning to field former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda after gettig extra votes from Congress as fourth caididate. The Congress may agree to give extra votes JD (S) if Deve Gowda contest the polls. However if Gowda refuse to contest, the Congress planning to field another candidate from the party and ask for JD (S) votes, a leader in Congress said.

Senior Congres leader Mallikarjuna Kharge is front runner for the ticket from the party as the party highcommand had earlier assured him to bring the Upper House, whenever the party gets opportunity, the leader said.

However Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's confident and outgoing member Rajeev Gowda expecting second term. Another outgoing member B K Hariprasad is also lobbying for renomination.

Other senior leaders K H Muniyappa and fotmer Tumkur Lok Sabha member S P Muddahanume Gowda also trying for the ticket. However, Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah is batting for former MP V S Ugrappa.

Muddahanume Gowda, who left his Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat in 2019 elections to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda as per Congress seat sharing formula with JD (S), said, "While leaving the seat to Deve Gowda, the then Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka incharge General Secretary K C Venugopal had assured a suitable position to me in future. Since Rajya Sabha elections are coming, I have requested the party top brass to give me ticket," he said.

"I am in touch with all senior leaders in Delhi and hope party will keep its promise," he said.

Since BJP can win two seats easiely, outgoing Rajya Sabha member Prabhara Kore, former MP Umesh Katti, the party General Secretary incharge for Karnataka, Muralidhara Rao, and Tejasvini Ananth Kumar, wife of former Union Minister Anant Kumar eying for tickets.

However RSS is pushing retired professor M Nagaraju for one seat.

Rajya Sabha elections date :

Last date for filing nominations : June 9

Last date for withdrwal : June 12

Date of polling and counting : June 19.