Karnataka: Legislative council polls to be held for 4 seats Monday

The ruling BJP and the principal opposition party Congress have fielded one candidate each in all the four constituencies: North-West Graduates, South Graduates, North-West Teachers, and West Teachers. Janata Dal (Secular) has put up candidates in all seats except North-West Graduates’ constituency.

The importance of the polls can be gauged from the fact that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai himself hit the campaign turf, said poll pundits. The results will determine whether the BJP will continue to hold the majority in the 75-member Council.

Notably, former JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti, who was the chairman of the Legislative Council until recently, resigned from the post to join the BJP, and is now the ruling party’s candidate in West Teachers’ constituency. He is seeking a record eighth successive term. Horatti has been pitted against Basavaraj Gurikar and Shrishail Gadadinni from the Congress and the JD(S), respectively.

In the North-West Teachers’ constituency, the battle is between Arun Shahpur of the BJP, who is seeking re-election, and former Congress MLA and MP Prakash Hukkeri, and Chandrashekhar Esappa Loni of the JD(S). While in the South Graduates’ constituency, former MLC MV Ravishankar of the BJP is contesting against Madhu G Madegowda of the Congress and HK Ramu of the JD(S).

In the North-West Graduates’ constituency, a straight contest is expected between BJP’s Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa and Congress’s Sunil Annappa Sank, as the JD(S) has not put up any candidate.