Karnataka: Polls to seven MLC seats set to be "unopposed"

Bengaluru, May 25: With all the seven nominations filed in order, the biennial election for the seven seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council is set to be "unopposed". The polls are scheduled to be held on June 3.

MK Vishalakshi, Returning Officer for MLC polls and Secretary, Karnataka Legislative Assembly, in a statement, said, "All the seven nominations are in order and have been accepted."

With the three major political parties in the state fielding candidates only to the number of seats they can win, the election is bound to be unopposed. With no contest, the formal declaration of "unopposed election", is expected to be made on May 27, the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

As far as the candidates are concerned, the BJP has fielded former Deputy Chief Minister and party vice-president Laxman Savadi, party's state secretaries Hemalatha Nayak and S Keshavaprasad, and president of SC Morcha Chalavadi Narayanaswamy in the MLC elections.

Whereas the Congress has fielded one of its media faces and former chairman of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) M Nagaraju Yadav and K Abdul Jabbar, who is currently the president of its minority cell and a former MLC, while the JD(S) has announced former MLC T A Saravana as its candidate.

The election is necessitated as the term of office of seven members expires on June 14. The seats will be falling vacant due to the retirement of MLCs -- Laxman Savadi and Lahar Singh Siroya of BJP; Ramappa Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Veena Achaiah S of Congress; and H M Ramesha Gowda and Narayana Swamy K V of JD(S).

According to official sources, in case election was to be held, each MLC candidate would require a minimum of 29 votes to win, and on the basis of the minimum votes required and tallying it with the strength of each party in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP is expected to win four seats, Congress two, and JD(S) one.

If all four BJP MLCs candidates are declared elected in this poll, the ruling party will have a majority in the Legislative Council until June 15, as numbers may alter thereafter, because results will be declared that day for June 13 polls to four MLC seats -- two teachers' and two graduates' constituencies.

As of today, the BJP has 37 members in the 75-member upper house, where it is just one short of a simple majority. While Congress' strength is 26, JD(S) has 10 members. There is also one independent member other than the Chairman. PTI