Congress announces former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar, two others as candidates for MLC election

Bengaluru/New Delhi: The Congress in Karnataka has fielded former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, Minister NS Boseraju and Tippannappa Kamaknoor for the June 30 bypolls to the state’s Legislative Council, it said on Monday.

The three seats fell vacant following the resignations of Baburao Chinchansur, R Shankar and Laxman Savadi to contest the assembly elections.

While Savadi won the election from his seat, Chinchansur and Shankar lost.

The new MLCs will be elected by the MLAs.

“Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the candidature of the following persons as Congress candidates to contest the bye-elections to the Legislative Council of Karnataka to be elected by the MLAs: Jagadish Shettar (term up to 14.06.2028), Tippannappa Kamaknoor (term up to 30.06.2026) and NS Boseraju (term up to 17.06.2024),” the AICC said in a statement.

Shettar headed the BJP government as chief minister for 10 months from July 2012 to May 2013. He also served as the Leader of Opposition and Assembly Speaker.

He joined the Congress ahead of the assembly elections after being denied a ticket by the BJP.

The Congress fielded him from his Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency. The six-time MLA secured a 36.31 per cent vote share, losing to the BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai.

Boseraju, who holds the Minor Irrigation and Science & Technology portfolios in the Karnataka government, is also a national secretary of the Congress.