Legislative Council poll keeps political heat on as it is being seen as a prestige battle

High political tension in Karnataka as parties gear up for Legislative Council elections following Lok Sabha polls.

The political heat in the State is still high as even before the results of the keenly contested Lok Sabha polls are announced, political parties are bracing up for the elections to six seats of the Legislative Council on June 3.

The fact that the elections to three graduates’ and three teachers’ constituencies of the Council have turned out to be an extension of the just concluded phase of the Lok Sabha polls in terms of political prestige was evident with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar asking party leaders and workers to desist from relaxing till the Council polls were over.

The battle lines for these polls appear to have been drawn with both the Congress and the BJP-JD(S) combine announcing their candidates. The Congress, which had announced the names of five candidates, on Sunday chose the former MLC Marithibbe Gowda, who had joined its fold after quitting the JD(S), as its nominee for the South Teachers’ constituency. Similarly, the JD(S) on Sunday announced its MLC S.L. Bhoje Gowda as the candidate for the South-West Teachers’ constituency.

Meanwhile, a section of JD(S) leaders are upset over their ally BJP giving them only one seat out of the six going to the polls. Confusion appears to be gripping the alliance partners in the South Teachers’ constituency as JD(S) leaders in the region have begun exerting pressure on the party leadership to ensure that the BJP cedes the seat to its candidate though its central leadership has announced E.C. Ningaraju as the alliance candidate here.

The JD(S), which had won the seat in the last election held in June 2018 with Mr. Marithibbe Gowda as its candidate, feels that it has the potential to win this seat this time and its local leaders want their State leadership to take up the issue with BJP top leaders.

This apart, the Council elections are being seen as a prestige battle between the ruling Congress and the Opposition combine because of the vast area the constituencies cover. The elections have assumed significance for the Congress as it is an opportunity to improve its tally from the present 29 members in the 75-member Upper House.

The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister held a meeting with the party leaders at the Congress office in Bengaluru to discuss poll strategies and take stock of the situation.