MLC polls: Fresh drama likely amid ticket race

After the drama over Rajya Sabha elections, a fresh act is now expected to play out for the Legislative Council elections and nominations, especially in the ruling BJP.

The term of seven MLCs will end June 30 and the Election Commission has announced polls to fill up these vacancies on June 29. The outgoing MLCs are Naseer Ahmed, Jayamma, M C Venugopal, N S Bose Raju, H M Revanna (all Congress), T A Sharavana (JDS) and independent D U Mallikarjuna.

At present, the 75-member Council has 37 Congress, 19 BJP, 16 JD(S), two independents and a chairperson.

It will be a tightrope walk for the ruling BJP, which has more than enough hopefuls lobbying for Council berths, including three who defected from the Congress-JD(S) coalition and are waiting for Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to keep his promise.

Although there are several names doing the rounds, the party is still unclear. “It is possible that the trend of accommodating grassroots party workers will continue,” BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar said. “Selection of candidates is left to the discretion of the high command.”

The candidates will be discussed in the BJP core committee scheduled for June 14 or 15.

Yediyurappa is under pressure to accommodate former ministers H Vishwanath, M T B Nagaraj and R Shankar, who quit the Congress-JD(S) and jumped ship to BJP.

While Vishwanath and Nagaraj lost the byelections, Shankar did not contest in exchange for a Council berth promise. Nagaraj met Yediyurappa on Wednesday and said he had no qualms in waiting for his turn. “I didn’t discuss the MLC elections. I talked about the development of Hoskote,” Nagaraj said. “Whatever the CM and the party decide, I’ll abide by it. Opportunity will come when the time is right,” he said, when asked about him becoming a minister via Council membership.

The Congress is under pressure from ticket aspirants. Sources said aspirants are seeking tickets under the minority, OBC and women quotas. “Among minorities, Nivedith Alva, Naseer Ahmed and Shafiulla are asking for tickets. Under OBC, Venugopal, Revanna and Bose Raju want another term, whereas Nagaraj Yadav and V R Sudarshan are other contenders. Women leaders Rani Satish, Bharti Shankar among others are vying for it,” a leader said. The JD(S) is yet to take a call on the MLC elections, according to sources, but Sharavana has sought another term.