From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 11: Flatly turning down the request from Opposition JD(S) to extend support for its industrialist candidate B M Farooq for the Rajya Sabha seat, the ruling Congress party has decided to try its luck by gambling on winning the third out of the four Rajya Sabha seats from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
The Congress party has decided to field Syed Naseer Hussain, AICC spokesman, L Hanumanthaiah, former MLC and former Kannada Development Authority chairman, and G C Chandrashekar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary and former Chairman of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB).
Chandrashekar is the third candidate of the Congress.
In terms of caste equation, the party has decided to field candidates from minority (Naseer Hussain - Ballari), Dalit (L Hanumanthiah - Bengaluru Rural) and dominant Vokkalinga community (G C Chandrashekar-Hassan).
Hussain, a Youth Congress leader, obtained doctorate in international politics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Farook of the JD(S) has already filed his nomination papers. He contested 2016 Rajya Sabha elections and was defeated.
Each candidate require 44 votes in the 225 member in the Assembly.
The Congress has 123 members, including Speaker, BJP - 43, JD(S) - 37, Badavara Shramikarra Raithara Paksha - 3, Karnataka Janata Paksha - 2, Karnataka Makkala Paksha - 1, Independents - 8, and nominated - 1. There are seven vacant seats in the Assembly.
The third candidate of the Congress is expected to emerge victorious with the likely support of seven JD(S) rebels and B R Patil of the Karnataka Janata Paksha, independent MLA B.R. Nagendra, and Ashok Kheny (Karnataka Makkala Paksha).
Elections to four Rajya Sabha are scheduled on March 23.
The term of four members of the Upper House - Rajiv Chandrashekar (Independent), Rahman Khan (Congress), Basavaraj Patil Sedam and R Ramakrishna (Both BJP) - would get ended on April 2, 2018.
Meanwhile, the BJP has reportedly decided to field Rajiv Chandrashekar, who hails from Kerla, as its candidate due to pressure from the RSS.