Karnataka CM files nomination for Legislative Council bypoll

Gowda was accompanied by his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa, BJP state unit President K S Eshwarappa and several Cabinet colleagues and ruling party MLAs.

He submitted papers to the Assembly Secretary,P Omprakasha at Vidhan Soudha, the state Secretariat. Assembly members comprise the electoral college.

In the 225-member Assembly, which includes a nominated member, BJP has the support of 121, including Textiles Minister Varthur Prakash, an independent, and the Speaker K G Bopaiah.

The Congress has 71 and the JDS 26. There are six independents, including B Sriramulu, who recently won the Bellary (Rural) bypoll after walking out of the ruling BJP.

"I have special trust in our MLAs. I am 100 per cent sure that they will cast their ballot for me", Gowda told reporters earlier in the day.

A Lok Sabha member, he took over as Chief Minister from Yeddyurappa on August 4 after he was asked to quit by the party Central leadership in the wake of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicting him.

He has to get elected from either House of the legislature within six months of the swearing-in to continue in his post as per constitutional provisions.

Congress has fielded Anand Gaddadeveramatha, a young party leader from Gadag district, who filed his nomination today.

"By fielding me, the party has sent out a message that it's giving due importance to the youth. I have the enthusiasm to win," he said.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah (Congress) said his party would approach JDS and the independents, seeking their support for Gaddadevaramatha.

Though the BJP has the numerical strength to win, the poll has generated considerable interest in the state as Sriramulu claimed the other day that he has the support of 22 BJP MLAs.

However, BJP has rubbished the claim of support, with Eshwarappa even declaring that he would quit politics if Sriramulu parades all of them.

BJP has already suspended three MLAs who backed Sriramulu in the recent Bellary (Rural) bypoll.

Sriramulu has said he would vote against Sadananda Gowda but repeatedly maintained that he would not try to destabilise the government.

After filing the nomination, Sadananda Gowda told reporters, "I am happy that all legislators took time off and were with me while filing the nomination. We are all united."

Yesterday, Yeddyurappa had appealed to Congress and JDS not to field candidates against the chief minister by setting a "good tradition" and to get Sadananda Gowda elected unopposed.

JDS has not put up a candidate, and party sources said the state unit chief H D Kumaraswamy has been authorised to take a call on its stand in the bypoll.