Karnataka legislature to fill four Rajya Sabha seats

Bangalore, May 28 (UNI) One of the first tasks of the newly constituted 13th Karnataka Assembly will be to fill in four vacancies from the State to the Rajya Sabha.

The seats have been lying vacant were caused following the retirement of four members, including former ministers M V Rajasekharan, Janardhana Poojary, former city Mayor Prema Cariappa (all Congress) and liquor baron Vijay Mallya (Independent).

The seats could not be filled as the Assembly was dissolved in November last following the resignation of the Yeddyurappa government which lasted for a week.

With 116 members strength, including six independents, the Bharatiya Janata Party which had romped home in the just-concluded 224-member Assembly elections could easily win two Rajya Sabha seats without any hitch while it can bag another by taking advantage of division in the opposition parties.

A minimum of 46 votes of legislators were needed for winning each Rajya Sabha seat. Congress with its present strength of 80 members in the Assembly will have 36 surplus votes after ensuring one Rajya Sabha berth for itself. The JD(Secular) with its strength of 28 members in the House can hardly bid for fielding its nominee in the elections.

The Election Commission (EC) is likely to issue a notification for conduct of elections soon after the constitution of the new State Assembly.

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