Legislative council polls: Discord in coalition as both BJP, JD(S) candidates file nomination papers for Karnataka South Teachers’ constituency

Elections for six Legislative Council constituencies – North-East Graduates, South-West Graduates, Bangalore Graduates, South-East Teachers, South-West Teachers and South Teachers – are scheduled June 3. The last date for filing nominations is May 16 and for withdrawal of nominations is May 20.

The BJP had announced candidates for five of the six seats earlier this week and had ceded one – South-West Teachers – to the JD(S). This, however, had not gone down well with the JD(S) leadership, who were demanding that the party candidate be fielded from the South Teachers’ segment.

The JD(S) has won the last few elections from the said constituency. However, the sitting MLC Marithibbe Gowda resigned as the MLC in March this year. He quit the regional party, joined Congress and will be fighting the MLC election on a Congress ticket.

A senior BJP leader told The Indian Express that despite the party candidate filing the nomination papers, the party would allow the JD(S) candidate to contest the election. “Leaders from both the parties will hold discussions and will sort out the issue. There is still time to withdraw nomination papers. Ningaraju Gowda has filed nomination because his name was announced by the party high command. He will be convinced to withdraw from the race,” the leader said.

Meanwhile, there are also speculations that Ningaraju Gowda will likely contest as an independent if BJP does not give him a B-form.