Katta keen to return to active politics as MLC

Katta Subramanya Naidu, V Somanna, Rani Satish, Prof B K Chandrashekar and Allam Veerabharappa are among the leaders aspiring to enter the Legislative Council in the polls scheduled for June 10.

Elections will be held for 7 seats of the Upper House, with members of the Legislative Assembly casting their voters. A candidate needs a minimum of 29 votes to get elected. The ruling Congress, with 123 MLAs, can win four seats, while the BJP and the JD(S) with 44 and 40 MLAs respectively, can win one each. The BJP and the JD(S) will be left with excess votes to ensure the victory of the seventh candidate if the 2 parties enter into an agreement.

Naidu, a staunch follower of BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa, is trying to return to active politics through these elections. The former minister had stayed off electoral politics as he faced corruption charges. The party did not field him in the 2013 Assembly elections from Hebbal constituency. Former minister and another Yeddyurappa-follower V Somanna is also trying to seek re-election, party sources said.

Sources said Naidu has requested the party to make him the second candidate if not the first. He has expressed confidence of winning as the second candidate by securing the support of independents and other small parties.

Excess votes

The BJP will have about 15 excess votes (after ensuring the victory of the first candidate). One has to either garner excess votes of the JD(S) or secure the support of MLAs of small parties like KJP and BSR Congress and independents, to emerge victorious.

Over a dozen candidates are lobbying to become MLCs in the ruling party. Prominent among them are Kannada cine stars Bhavya and Bhavana, Mallajamma, K P Nanjundi, G C Chandrashekar, R V Venkatesh and Veeranna Mattikatti, besides Allam Veerabhadrappa, Prof B K Chandrashekar, Ramachandrappa and Rani Satish. The names of former Mandya MP Ramya are also making the rounds, party sources said.  Besides, 3 Council seats to be filled through nominations will be vacant by this month-end.

The government will have the power to recommend names for the nominations to Governor Vajubhai Vala. This will help the Congress increase its strength in the Upper House, which is crucial for the passage of bills. Currently, the combined opposition of the BJP and the JD(S) has a majority in the Council.

This apart, elections to 4 other seats (2 from teachers' constituencies and 2 from graduate constituencies) are scheduled to be held on June 9.


MLCs whose term is set to end:

 Ashwathnarayana
 Narayan S Bandage
 Veeranna Mattikatti
 V Somanna
 R V Venkatesh
 C H Vijayshankar
 M Srinivas (elected from graduates' constituency)
 Mahantesh Shivanand Koujalagi
 G Madhusudan (elected from teachers' constituencies)
 Basavaraj Horatti
 Arun Shahapur