Bengaluru, Jun 8: Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday filed his nomination as the party's candidate for the June 19 Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka.
The former union minister filed his nomination in the presence of KPCC President D K Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and other senior party leaders at the office of Legislative Assembly Secretary M K Vishalakshi, who is the returning officer for the polls.
Ahead of filing of nomination, the Congress Legislature Party meeting was held under the leadership of Siddaramaiah, after which Shivakumar issued "B-form" to Kharge.
The Congress high command on June 5 had announced Kharge as the party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.
The election is scheduled on June 19 to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka represented by Rajeev Gowda and BK Hariprasad of the Congress, Prabhakar Kore of the BJP and D Kupendra Reddy of the JD(S) that will fall vacant on June 25, with their retirement.
June 9 is the last date for filing nominations.
Congress with 68 MLAs in the assembly can win one of the four seats easily on its own, so Kharge's victory is said to be certain.
This will be the first stint in Rajya Sabha for Kharge, who has always got elected directly by the people in his political career spanning over four decades.
The leader, earlier popularly known as "solillada Saradara", (a leader without defeat), faced his first electoral loss in his political life against BJP's Umesh Jadhav in Gulbarga by a margin of 95,452 votes during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
A nine-time MLA and two-term Lok Sabha member, he had served as Congress floor leader in the previous Lok Sabha, and also as Union Railway and Labour Minister during the UPA government.
Kharge, who is 77-years-old, has also served as minister during several Congress governments in the state, and as KPCC President and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly in the past.
His son, Priyank Kharge, is currently MLA representing Chittapur constituency and had served as minister during the previous Congress and coalition governments.
JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda is the JD(S) candidate.
The regional party that has 34 seats in the assembly is not in a position to win a seat in Rajya Sabha on its own, and will need the support from the Congress with its surplus votes.
A minimum of 44 votes are required for candidates to win.
BJP with 117 members in the assembly (including Speaker), can ensure easy victory in two seats.
The BJP's central leadership on Monday sprang a surprise by fielding Eranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha election ignoring the recommendations of the state BJP unit.
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Moral classes for Immoral activities
Oops..Producing some more minor terriorists,,, we have minor cell,,, No issue,, Upon blessing of Saffron Govt,,, documents missing.. as Malegaon blast.. Samajotha blast,,, Release BHAGYA,,,
70% is Hindu population of the nation and if at least 25% are illiterate, still they are more than peace loving community.
However they have at least other 25% educated in them.
The one and only the best solution is target these educated people in conveying the true religion. When they are with you, India will be peaceful country by force.
After sometime it will be peaceful country without force.
Pardon them Lord. These chaddies are ignorant goons. They do not know the fact that what they are doing is selling Bharat maatha to the West.
first of all who are they to teach (rss) ? are they govt? supreme court should stop this kind of nonsense.
INDIAN LAW AND ORDER MUST FOCUS ON THIS CLASSES AND NEED TO TAKE VIDEOS AND CLARIFY,
BEC WE DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TRAINING TO YOUNG CHILDREN
BEC WE DONT WANT ANY TERROR GROUP HERE IN INDIA ...
Cheddis are controlling even our leaders ... We have recognized their cheddi trained MORALS after coming to POWER...
Please DEFINE what is MORALS to YOU>....
Brain washing classes.
RSS and Moral - you must be joking.....where was their moral when they killed Mahatma Gandhi???
Time has come to vanish this terrorist group from INDIA. Hope peace loving INDIANS will do the same very shortly.
Jai Hind
We are seeing what kind of products are coming out from RSS schools. Bajrangdal, VHP, SRS, all immoral rowdies.
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