Karnataka MLC polls: Unhappy over BJP’s list, JD(S) pushes for one more seat

In the six constituencies—North-East Graduates, South-West Graduates, Bangalore Graduates, South-East Teachers, South-West Teachers and South Teachers—the BJP has fielded candidates for all but one, South-West Teachers. However, JD(S) leaders are insistent that their party be allowed to field its candidate from the South Teachers constituency, where it has won consecutive elections.

Marithibbe Gowda, who has represented the constituency for the JD(S) previously, resigned as the MLC in March to join the Congress. He will contest the election on a Congress ticket after the party cleared his nomination on Sunday.

As May 16 is the last date for filing nominations, leaders from both the parties are expected to arrive at a consensus by May 13, a senior JD(S) leader told The Indian Express. “The list will be changed for sure. We will get one more constituency, which will likely be South Teachers. The party has already zeroed in on a candidate,” he said.

The BJP nominees are Amarnatha Patil (North-East Graduates), Dhananajay Sarji (South-West Graduates), A Deve Gowda (Bangalore Graduates), Y A Narayanaswamy (Karnataka South-East Teachers) and E C Ningaraju (Karnataka South Teachers). For the South-West Teachers constituency, the coalition partners have renominated sitting JD(S) MLC S L Bhoje Gowda. Results of the elections will be announced June 3.

The alliance faced its first election in February, after the BJP decided to back JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath in the election to the Bangalore Teachers constituency. For the Lok Sabha polls, the JD(S) was expected to contest five seats. After much bickering, however, the JD(S) had to settle for three seats, but with the consolation that Dr C N Manjunath, son-in-law of JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, was fielded as the BJP candidate in the Bangalore Rural constituency.

Despite the loss of face suffered after MP Prajwal Revanna was booked in sexual assault cases, top leaders from both his JD(S) and the BJP have decided to continue with their alliance for the MLC elections.