<p class="title">The BJP core committee on Saturday finalised three names for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. One of them is said to be Ramesh Katti, the brother of 8-time ‘disgruntled’ MLA Umesh Katti, who had been mounting pressure on the party. </p>.<p class="bodytext">According to sources, two other names - incumbent Prabhakar Kore and hotelier Prakash Shetty - will also be sent to the party’s central leadership. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The party was also considering RSS leader M Nagaraj and BJP vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana, sources said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The biennial elections will be held as the term of four incumbents - D Kupendra Reddy (JD-S), Prabhakar Kore (BJP), M V Rajeev Gowda and B K Hariprasad (both Congress) will end June 25. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The last date to file nominations is June 9 and elections will be held on June 19.</p>.<p class="bodytext">MLAs will elect members of the Rajya Sabha and a candidate requires 45 votes. The BJP, with 117 MLAs in a 223-member Assembly, can ensure victory for two candidates. So, the BJP central leadership is expected to finalise two candidates who will be fielded. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress has already fielded veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, whereas the JD(S) is still undecided, but its MLAs want supremo H D Devegowda to contest.</p>
<p class="title">The BJP core committee on Saturday finalised three names for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. One of them is said to be Ramesh Katti, the brother of 8-time ‘disgruntled’ MLA Umesh Katti, who had been mounting pressure on the party. </p>.<p class="bodytext">According to sources, two other names - incumbent Prabhakar Kore and hotelier Prakash Shetty - will also be sent to the party’s central leadership. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The party was also considering RSS leader M Nagaraj and BJP vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana, sources said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The biennial elections will be held as the term of four incumbents - D Kupendra Reddy (JD-S), Prabhakar Kore (BJP), M V Rajeev Gowda and B K Hariprasad (both Congress) will end June 25. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The last date to file nominations is June 9 and elections will be held on June 19.</p>.<p class="bodytext">MLAs will elect members of the Rajya Sabha and a candidate requires 45 votes. The BJP, with 117 MLAs in a 223-member Assembly, can ensure victory for two candidates. So, the BJP central leadership is expected to finalise two candidates who will be fielded. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress has already fielded veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, whereas the JD(S) is still undecided, but its MLAs want supremo H D Devegowda to contest.</p>
