From Our Special Correspondent
Daijworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 19: Former BJP Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who had joined Congress ahead of the recent State Assembly polls and lost in the elections on a Congress ticket from his constituency, has been named as the party candidate for the ensuing Legislative Council elections.
N S Boseraju, who was made a minister despite not being a member of either house of the State legislature, has also been accommodated.
Thought the party was expected to nominate another BJP leader BaburaoChinchanasur, who resigned his MLC seat to join Congress and lost in the elections, however, has not been considered in the selection of Congress candidates for the Upper House.
The Congress party has named ThippannappaKamaknoor as the third candidate.
With Tuesday, June 20, being the last date for filing nominations for MLC election, AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge has approved the names of the 3 party candidates, who are assured of victory due to Congress party’s majority in the assembly as the elections are held separately as the dates of retirement of the seats for which the vacancies arose following the resignation of BJP MLCs fall on different dates.
Shettar belongs to the politically powerful Lingayat community and the Congress party insiders are suggesting that he may be pitted against the BJP Union Minister Prahlad Joshi from Dharwad in the next year’s loksabha polls to send out a strong message that the Congress party is ready to field formidable candidates against BJP and win at least 20 out of the 28 seats in the State.
The three candidates with their dates of retirement in brackets are:
1. Jagadish Shettar (14-6-2028)
2. ThippannappaKamaknoor (30-6-2026)
3. N S Boseraju (17-6-2024)
According to Congress party insiders, Chinchansuru and other party aspirants are likely to be accommodated during the biennial elections to the Council. There is also the possibility of Chinchansuru being considered from the nomination category as the ruling party is entitled to nominate 3 persons.