MLC Polls: BJP to send several names to high command

Bengaluru: State BJP on Monday decided to send “several names” to the party high command as probable candidates for the June 29 legislative council polls, for seven seats that will fall vacant.

According to party sources, the state unit has decided to send two sets of names, wary of central leadership, which had sprung a surprise by fielding Eranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti as candidates for the Rajya Sabha election ignoring the recommendations of the party-state unit.

“There was a long discussion regarding candidates for legislative council polls for the seats to be elected by members of the legislative assembly, several names will be recommended to the central election committee,” BJP state General Secretary Arvind Limbavali said.

Speaking to reporters after the party core committee meeting here, he said, “finally the central election committee that has the authority to take final decision, they will select from the list we send and declare the names.
” BJP will be fielding four candidates for the council polls, he added.

The election is necessitated as the term of seven MLCs- Naseer Ahmed, Jayamma, M C Venugopal, N S Bose Raju, H M Revanna (all Congress), T A Sharavana (JDS) and independent D U Mallikarjuna- will end June 30.

While BJP is in a position to win four seats, Congress can win two and JD(S) one.

Sources said, after the Rajya Sabha experience, the leaders in the core committee have sent in two sets of names.

While one set features the names of those to whom Yediyurappa had made a promise, for playing a key role in the formation of BJP government after the coup that led the collapse of Congress-JD(S) coalition, sources said, adding that the other set of nams are of loyal party workers.

Names of H Vishwanath, MTB Nagaraj and R Shankar, who defected from Congress and JD(S) to BJP, also C P Yogeshwar, who was instrumental in managing the rebel MLAs during the fall of coalition government, were making the rounds in the party circles as probable names in the first set. While Vishwanath and Nagaraj lost the byelections, Shankar did not contest in exchange for a Council berth promise.

A senior party functionay said the central leadership may choose from the list of names sent by the state or like they did during Rajya Sabha polls, announce a completely different set of names. “Anything may happen.

“In Congress too there is intense lobbying as the party is yet to finalise its candidates for two seats, JD(S) is said to have authorised its patriarch H D Deve Gowda to take a final call on the candidate. June 18 is the last date for filing of nominations.