BJP to discuss MLC, RS polls at core committee meet

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the party will discuss the preparations and candidates for elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from the state and the Legislative Council polls in the BJP core committee meeting.

Biennial elections for four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka and two of each graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies of the state Legislative Council will be held on June 10 and 13 respectively.mAlso, biennial elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council will be held on June 3.

”On May 14, the state BJP core committee will meet, during the meeting, we will discuss regarding Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council polls,” Bommai told reporters here. The elections to four seats of Rajya Sabha have been necessitated as the term of office of members including BJP’s Nirmala Sitharaman (Union Finance Minister) and KC Ramamurthy is due to expire on June 30.

Members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the method of indirect election, by elected members of the Legislative Assembly of that State, and by the system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote.

The elections to Legislative Council by MLAs are necessitated as the term of office of seven members including BJP’s Laxman Sangappa Savadi and Lahar Singh Siroya is going to expire on June 14.

According to sources, in these polls, each MLC candidate will require a minimum of 29 votes to win, and based on the minimum votes required and tallying it with the strength of each party in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP will be able to win four seats, Congress two and JD(S) one.

While, polls for two each graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies of the state Legislative Council are necessitated as the term of four members including BJP’s Irani Hanamant Rudrappa from North-West Graduates’ constituency, and Arun Shahapur from North-West Teachers’ constituency is expiring on July 4.

BJP has already announced the candidates for three — two sitting MLCs, Arun Shahpur (North West Teachers’ constituency) and Hanumant Rudrappa Nirani (North West Graduates’ constituency), and former MLC M V Ravishankar (South Graduates’ Constituency).

Basavaraj Horatti, who is currently the Legislative Council Chairman and was elected on a JD(S) ticket last time, is likely to be BJP’s candidate from West Teachers’ constituency.

The ruling BJP currently has 37 members in the upper house, where it is just one short of a simple majority. The halfway mark in the 75-member Legislative Council is 38.

While Congress’ strength is 26, JD(S) has 10 members. There is also one independent member other than the Chairman.

Bommai said, “On Thursday, we have discussed issues related to the council and Rajya sabha elections during the meeting with BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel. Detailed discussion will be held at the core committee meeting.”

Talking about the OBC reservation, he said, “All legal efforts are on to provide political reservation for those from Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local bodies, ahead of polls.  A commission has been formed to decide on the reservations. The government and all the political parties intend to hold the elections only after giving political representation to the Backward Classes.”

(With inputs from PTI)