Rajya Sabha polls: Congress issues whip, won’t withdraw second candidate

The Karnataka Congress has issued a whip to all its lawmakers asking them to vote for the party’s candidates in the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections.

With this, the Congress has shown determination to go ahead with its general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan as the party’s second candidate, even as it has numbers to surely win one.

Opposition Chief Whip Ajay Dharam Singh has asked all Congress MLAs to vote for the party’s candidates during the Rajya Sabha election that will be held at room 106 in Vidhana Soudha between 9 am and 4 pm on June 10.

Of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka going to polls, the BJP can win two, the Congress one and the JD(S) none. A candidate will need 45 votes to win.

All three parties have fielded a candidate for the fourth seat despite not having enough votes - Lahar Singh Siroya (BJP), Mansoor Ali Khan (Congress) and Kupendra Reddy (JDS).

Friday is the last day to withdraw nominations.

The JD(S) and the Congress tried playing the secular card against each other: the regional party wants Khan to withdraw from the fray whereas the Congress wants Reddy out of the contest.

“Why should we withdraw our candidate? We have fielded him because we want to win,” Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah said.

When pointed out that the Congress does not have enough numbers to make Khan win, Siddaramaiah said: “Does the BJP and JD(S) have the numbers? We have our votes in tact, including 71 second-preference votes.”

Siddaramaiah said the Congress expects lawmakers to cast conscience votes. “I can’t tell you now who will vote for us,” he said, hinting at the possibility of cross-voting.