As many as 25 aspirants, including actor-turned-politicians and litterateurs, are lobbying to enter the Karnataka Legislative Council. Besides four seats from graduates and teachers constituencies, elections will be held for seven seats in the Council from the Legislative Assembly in June.
According to sources in the Congress, actor and former Member of Parliament Ramya, chairperson of the Bal Bhavan Society Bhavana, actor Bhavya, actor and former MP Shashikumar, and the former MLC Mukhyamantri Chandru, who recently joined the Congress, are keen on entering the Upper House, either through election from the Lower House or nomination.
The names of writers and intellectuals, including K. Marulasiddappa, Baragur Ramachandrappa and the former president of the Kannada Book Authority S.G. Siddaramaiah, are also being discussed in the Congress circles.
A senior party leader said the names of candidates for the seven seats are likely to be cleared during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s visit to New Delhi on May 22.
While party leaders are in favour of sending the former Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education B.K. Chandrashekar to the Council, others, including industrialist K.P. Nanjundi, chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board G.C. Chandrashekar, the former KPCC president Allum Veerabhadrappa, Ms. Ramya, and Ambedkar Development Corporation chairperson Mallajamma are vying for party ticket.
The other names that are doing the rounds are the former MLC Prafulla Madhukar, chairperson of Hatti Gold Mines Company Ltd. Rani Satish, chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority L. Hanumanthaiah, president of the KPCC Women’s Wing Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Kondajji Mohan, and Prakash Rathod.
Congress’ advantage
As elections to seven seats of the Legislative Council are scheduled for June 10, aspirants are making all efforts to get ticket. The Congress, with the strength of 124 in the Assembly, could easily win four seats.
The terms of Ashwathanarayana, Narayana Sa. Bhandage, V. Somanna, and C.H. Vijayashankar (all BJP), Veeranna Mattikatti and R.V. Venkatesh of the Congress, and M. Srinivas of the Janata Dal (Secular) will end on June 14.
While the term of BJP member Lehar Singh Siroya will end on May 28, the seats vacated by nominated members of the BJP — actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and P.V. Krishna Bhat — are yet to be filled.
Election to the seat vacated by Y.A. Narayana Swamy, who got elected to the Legislative Assembly from Hebbal constituency, is yet to be announced.
