Former Speakers Meira Kumar and Shivraj Patil likely to enter RS poll from state

Bengaluru: Congress’ VIPs such as former Lok Sabha Speakers Shivraj Patil and Meira Kumar are said to be contesting the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka.

According to the sources, Patil met AICC president Rahul Gandhi amid his current visit to Basavakalyan in Bidar region and communicated his willingness to compete in the RS elections. Meira Kumar, who participated in foundation stone lying ceremony of Babu Jagjivan Ram study centre in Bengaluru a week ago, held meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the same.

Congress party which has 123 MLAs, can easily win two of the four seats in the elections scheduled to be held on March 23. The party is certain of winning a third seat with the assistance of rebel MLAs in the JD(S) and Independents. A competitor needs roughly 45 votes to win. MLAs are the voters in this election.

The sources said the party wants to handle a leader from the compelling Linyagat people group, which it has been attempting to charm in front of the Assembly elections. Patil, a former Union Home Minister, has a place with the Lingayat people group and he belongs from the same community. He is from Lathur in Maharashtra bordering Karnataka.

Meira Kumar, a former Union minister who hails from Bihar, is the daughter of Dalit leader the late Babu Jagjivan Ram. She has a place with Dalit left wing as she belongs from there. The party may attempt to charm the group, which is seeing red at the state government for not giving inner reservation according to Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission suggestions, the sources called attention to.

Furthermore, senior Congress leaders from the state, for example, former minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa, KPCC working president S R Patil, former chairman of the Legislative Council Veeranna Mattikatti, former minister Rani Satish and former MLC Allamma Prabhu Patil (all Lingayats) are likewise in the list.

Siddaramaiah is said to be excited on handling Shivashankarappa with an aim of pacifying him on the issue of partitioned religion tag for Lingayat/Veerashiva beliefs. Shivashankarappa, who is leader of Akhila Bharataha Veerashaiva Mahasabha, is restricting the move to proclaim Lingayat a different religion.

According to the sources, the party may handle a leader from Muslim people group in the elections to the Upper House of Parliament. Senior leader and former Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha K Rahman Khan, whose term in the Rajya Sabha will end on April 2, is looking for re-selection for the fifth term. Urban Development Minister R Roshan Baig and former MLC Saleem Ahmed are additionally said to be in the race.

Additionally, AICC representative Brijesh Kalappa, Mysuru-based businessman and Siddaramaiah’s nearby confidant Chenna Reddy, KPCC president G Parameshwara’s nearby follower Nagaraj Chebby and former MLC U B Venkatesh are likewise competing with each other to be the Congress applicant.