JD(S) to contest RS polls despite CM refusing to back its nominee

Bengaluru, Mar 6: Hectic political parleys for the Rajya Sabha polls is likely in store this week as the filing of the nomination for four seats to Upper House of Parliament from Karnataka opened on Monday.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the notification for the elections scheduled on March 23. As of now, it is unlikely to be a unanimous election. The JD(S) declared that it will contest the polls even though it is short of numbers to win even a single seat. The ruling Congress, on the other end, stuck to its stand of fielding the third candidate.

Members of the Legislative Assembly form the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha polls. A candidate requires about 44 votes to win the polls.

In the Assembly, the Congress has 122 MLAs on its side. Though the JD(S) has 37 MLAs, seven of its rebel MLAs have pledged support to the Congress. The Congress is hoping to win the third seat with the help of the seven JD(S) rebels and some independent legislators. The BJP with 46 MLAs can win one seat.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will leave for New Delhi on Tuesday to hold a discussion with the party high command to finalise Congress candidates. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah ruled out holding talks with the JD(S) for the third seat.

Siddaramaiah's stand has not gone down well with the JD(S). The party's state chief

H D Kumaraswamy hit back at the Congress, stating that his party was not dependent on the ruling party's support to contest the elections.

Speaking to DH, Kumaraswamy said, "Very good -- let them (Congress) go ahead. We have no hopes regarding the Congress. We are not even interested. Without fail, we will field a candidate. Our party president (H D Deve Gowda) has already announced that we will fight the elections."

The party, which has decided to field businessman B M Farooq, is however still pinning hopes on the Congress high command to come to its aid. It has asked its party Rajya Sabha MP Kupendra Reddy to hold negotiations with the Congress central leaders. "We have asked Kupendra Reddy to hold talks at the Delhi level. If they are interested, then it is okay. If they are not, we will leave it," said Kumaraswamy.

The list of aspirants in the Congress is long. Former Lok Sabha Speakers Shivraj Patil and Meira Kumar are said to be aspiring to contest. Senior leaders including Shamanur Shivashankarappa, S R Patil, Veeranna Mattikatti, Rani Satish and Allamm Prabhu Patil are also in the race.

The BJP Parliamentary Board, which will meet in New Delhi will decide on the party candidate. Two names are doing the rounds, two-term Independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar and former Lok Sabha member Vijay Sankeshwar.

Parties have one week to finalise their candidates with March 12 being the last date for filing nominations.