MLC bypolls: Jagadish Shettar, 2 other Congress candidates elected unopposed

Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and two other candidates fielded by the Congress party have been elected as the Members of Legislative Council (MLC) unanimously on Friday.

Along with Shettar, state minister N.S. Boseraju and senior Congress leader Tippannappa Kamakanur had been fielded as candidates for the MLC seats.

Friday was the last day for taking back nominations by the candidates. The BJP did not field any candidate and only Congress candidates were in the fray. The nomination by Padmarajan as an Independent candidate was rejected.

The three posts in the council fell vacant due to the resignation of former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Baburao Chinchanasur and R. Shankar. All three were nominated by BJP back then. Savadi joined the Congress and is an MLA from Athani constituency now.

The development is seen as the comeback of Shettar, who lost the recent Assembly elections from Hubballi-Dharwad Central contesting on a Congress ticket after jumping ship from the BJP.

However, Shettar’s move of joining the Congress ahead of the elections proved beneficial for the party to dent the Lingayat vote-bank of the BJP.

(With IANS inputs)