JD(S) decides to support Cong candidate for Rajya Sabha seat

Bangalore, Jun 16 (UNI) Congress and Janata Dal(S) in Karnataka have clinched an election understanding for the June 26 biennial elections to four seats of Rajy Sabha and seven seats to Legislative Council from the Karnataka Assembly here today.

Elections would be held to fill four seats to Rajya Sabha and seven seats to the Legislative Council for which filing of nomination ended today.

JD(S) which has 28 members in the Karantaka assembly have agreed to support two Congress candidates S M Krishna and Anil Lad for the Rajya Sabha elections.

The ruling BJP which has comfortable majority to get two RS seats have already nominated former Chief Justice of Haryana and Punjab Rama Jois and educationist Prabhakar Kore.

The Congress which has 80 members in the 224-member Karantaka assembly can easily get one seat without any hitch however falls short of about 13 votes to get its second candidate elected for the Rajya Sabha. The party high command which had permitted AICC General Secretary Prithviraj Chavan to hold talks with JD(S) to seek its support in the RS elections ended in clinching electoral alliance with JD(S).

Former Chief Minister S M Krishna and Anil Lad, both Congress nominees and who came with large number of supporters have filed their nomination papers before the returning officer in Vidhana Soudha today.

While Mr Krishna had returned to state politics after submiting his resignation as Maharashtra Governor prior to Karnataka assembly elections, Anil Lad, a new entrant and fought unsuccessfully as Congress candidate from the Bellary city assembly seat in the just concluded assembly elections.

This will be the second stint for the former Maharashtra Governor in the Rajya Sabha.

The scrutiny would take place tomorrow and last day for withdrawal of nominations is June 19.

BJP which has enough strength to get elect four of its members to the Council, has named Home Minister V S Acharya, A Siddaraju, N Shankarappa and Bharati Shetty as its nominations.

Former Union Minister M V Rajasekharan filed his papers as the Congress candidate, while M C Nanaiah and A V Narayana Swamy will be the JD(S) candidates.

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