Mysore realtor joins race for RS poll ticket

As the ruling Congress grapples with selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls, Chenna Reddy, a realtor from Mysore, has thrown his hat into the ring.

Reddy, who is said to be a close associate of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been lobbying to get the Congress ticket to contest as the third candidate.

He joined the party along with Siddaramaiah. Of the total four seats in the elections, the Congress can win at least two. For the third one, it will fall short of numbers.

The party has been looking for a candidate who can manage to secure the required numbers, especially the support of Independent MLAs.

Kupendra Reddy, a Bangalore-based realtor, has also sought the party ticket to contest for the third seat. He also claims to have good equations with the JD(S). Former police officer K C Ramamurthy too has been lobbying for a ticket.

Names of senior leaders B K Hari Prasad, S M Krishna, C M Ibrahim and others are doing the rounds for the elections.

It is speculated that former union finance minister P Chidambaram would be a candidate in the elections.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief G Parameshwara are scheduled to leave for Delhi on Wednesday to hold talks with the party high command on the selection of candidates.

The two leaders are scheduled to first hold a meeting with AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka Digvijay Singh in this regard and later meet the party president, sources said.

Singh, during his recent visit to Bangalore, had formed a broad framework for selecting candidates for the Council elections. The State leaders were asked to take representation to different communities in the Council into account while shortlisting candidates.

CLP meet postponed

Siddaramaiah has postponed the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting from June 5 to June 18, as he will be away in Delhi. He is planning to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the national capital.

JD(S) MLAs to decide

JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday said that the decision to field candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections was the prerogative of the legislature party.

“My job is restricted to distributing the ‘B’ form. The legislature party is yet to convey its choice of candidates,” said Gowda.