Karnataka: BJP, Congress, JDS rush to finalise candidates after 4 Rajya Sabha seats become vacant
India Today
Four Rajya Sabha seats have become vacant in Karnataka. As a result, all three parties, the BJP, Congress and the JDS are in a rush to finalise the candidates they want to field.
As four seats for Rajya Sabha become vacant in Karnataka, all three parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) are in a rush to finalise the candidates.
According to sources, the BJP wanted to field three candidates, making it difficult for the JDS candidate to win. Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda spoke to the BJP top brass asking them not to put up a third candidate so that the JDS can get one Rajya Sabha member elected.
Congress is likely to field Jairam Ramesh from Karnataka as their candidate. The BJP is likely to repeat Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as their candidate.
The JDS has closed in on BM Farooq, who is a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). If the BJP fields two, Congress fields one and the JDS fields one, all 4 candidates will get elected unopposed without election.
A top source said because the former Prime Minister has spoken to BJP top brass, it may be considered.
The BJP, however, is short of a minimum of 15 votes if they field a third candidate.
Each candidate needs 45 votes from MLAs to get elected as a Rajya Sabha member. At present, the strength of each of the parties is as follows:
