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Race for Rajya Sabha tickets heat up in Karnataka in both BJP, Congress camps
For a member to be elected to the RS from Karnataka, they would require 44 votes. So, the BJP can comfortably elect two members, with votes to spare.
With four members of the Rajya Sabha retiring on June 25, the race to replace them has become hectic in Karnataka with lobbying in both national parties – the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress intensifying. Two Congress members – B K Hariprasad and Prof M V Rajeev Gowda are retiring, while BJP’s Prabhakar Kore and Janata Dal (Secular)’s D Kupendra Reddy’s term also ends.
Given the current composition in the 224 member Karnataka assembly, where BJP has 117 MLA’s while Congress has 68 and JD(S) has 34, with three independents and two seats being vacant, the BJP can elect two Rajya Sabha MP’s while Congress can send one – but with extra votes to spare and JD(S) - if it manages additional votes, can elect one person.
For a member to be elected to the RS from Karnataka, they would require 44 votes. So, the BJP can comfortably elect two members, with votes to spare. While Prabhakar Kore an education baron, is keen for another term the BJP is unlikely to oblige given that he has already has served two consecutive terms.
Tejaswini the wife of former union minister Anant Kumar who narrowly missed out the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat won by her husband for six consecutive terms is considered to be a key contender.
Ramesh Katti, the brother of BJP’s eight-term MLA Umesh Katti has publicly declared that Chief Minister Yediyurappa should keep his promise of sending him to the upper house of parliament. “I have urged the CM to fulfill his promise of (sending me to the RS) he made last year when I was denied the Chikkodi Lok Sabha ticket,” Ramesh Katti told HT.
Umesh Katti is said to be unhappy at not being inducted into the cabinet and a recent meeting he held with some of the other unhappy rebels in the party created ripples. So the party may seriously consider his brother’s candidature to mollify the Kattis.
Another lesser known name doing the rounds is of Prof M Nagaraj said to be a Sangh ideologue from the northern Karnataka stronghold of BJP. North Karnataka legislators of the party have complained that while the party won bulk of the seats from this part of the state, representation in power has not reflected this.
The BJP state-in-charge Muralidhara Rao himself is seen as a contender for one of the Rajya Sabha seats. Industrialist and media baron Vijay Sankeshwar a former three-term Lok Sabha member is also seen to be in the running.
However, two surprising names which are doing the rounds from the BJP quota include Sudha Murthy – noted philanthrophist and the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and that of K V Kamath the former ICICI bank honcho. A senior BJP leader who did not want to be identified told HT, “Ultimately it will be a call of the party high command in consultation with the Chief Minister, so from all the names doing the rounds while they might have aspirations, only the core committee will ultimately decide.”
In the lone seat that Congress can win, former leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge is seen as the front runner. The other names being mentioned include former union ministers – K H Muniyappa and Veerpa Moily.
Even B K Hari Prasad is keen on returning to the upper house but given his frosty relations with former CM Siddaramiah who wields considerable influence in the state unit; this may not come to pass. Muniyappa a seven term Member of Parliament speaking to HT said, “I am not an aspirant and would gladly support any choice made by the high command. I am ready to work in the organization to bring the party back to power in the state. My only desire is that those who have stabbed the party in the back and helped BJP come to power should not get rewarded,” indicating the divisions in the party.
The Congress will have nearly 24 votes to spare and is likely to support JD(S) supremo and former PM Deve Gowda if he decides to contest. JD(S) needs 10 more votes to elect a member and in turn Congress is likely to seek the support of the regional party to elect one more MLC – the elections for which are also round the corner.
Political analyst Prof Harish Ramaswamy said that Yediyurappa will have to do a tight rope walk to ensure that he keeps all sections in the party happy while choosing the RS candidates. “Congress and JD(S) are likely to reach an understanding as it will also enhance further ties between the two parties to jointly take on the BJP in the state.”
