Karnataka MLC polls: Congress names CM's son Yathindra, CT Ravi in BJP list

Bengaluru: The Congress and the BJP on Sunday announced their lists of candidates for the elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council scheduled on June 13. The biennial elections will be held for 11 seats.

As expected, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra made it to the Congress list for ‘sacrificing’ his Varuna seat for his father in the 2023 Assembly elections. This seat was originally ‘vacated’ by Siddaramaiah in 2018, facilitating Yathindra’s entry into politics.

Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju and CM’s political secretary K Govindraju were renominated while the Congress also named former MLC Ivan D’souza, Vasanth Kumar, Balkis Bano (Muslim leader from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga) and Kalaburagi district president Jagdev Guttedar.

The BJP named former minister and Vokkaliga leader CT Ravi and Karnataka Maratha Communities Development Corporation Ltd former chairman MG Mule while the party renominated N Ravi Kumar to three seats.

It is almost certain that these nominees will get elected unopposed.

The JD(S) is yet to announce its candidates. Monday is the last day to file nominations.

Based on the existing floor strength, the Congress can win seven seats, the BJP and the JD(S) three and one, respectively. In the 224-member Assembly, the Congress has 134 MLAs (including the Speaker) while the BJP has 67 after the merger of Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and the JD(S) has 19 MLAs. Besides this, there are two independent MLAs and an MLA representing Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha. One MLA seat is vacant after the demise of Congress MLA of Shorapur Raja Venkatappa Naik.

Ravi’s comeback

CT Ravi, the Vokkaliga leader from Chikkamagaluru who lost the Assembly polls a year ago, has made a comeback with the party nominating him for the seat. Party circles are abuzz with rumours that he could be the frontrunner for the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

The Congress was flooded with over 300 applications for seven seats while the BJP had received about 40 applications for three seats. Both parties witnessed hectic lobbying from the aspirants. However, the Congress surprised by picking Balkis Bano.

The Congress also cleared Basanagouda Badarli’s candidature for the vacant seat in the Upper House for which the Election Commission has to announce the poll date.

The seat had fallen vacant after former CM Jagadish Shettar rejoined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the state.