With IIM-Bangalore Professor and AICC spokesperson Rajeev Gowda filing his nomination to Rajya Sabha as a Congress candidate on Monday, it was confirmed that former External Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader SM Krishna was out of the race for RS member. Rajeev Gowda, accompanied by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara and host of other leaders, filed his nomination papers.
SM Krishna, who is set to retire on June 25, was a very strong contender for an extension but he did not get any confirmation from the Congress. Monday being the last to file nominations, Gowda and senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad filed their papers for the June 19 elections. In fact the name of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s name was doing rounds as a candidate from Karnataka but there was an open opposition from the State Congress leaders, which include Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
According to Congress sources, it was Rahul who intervened to pick IIM-B professor for the post. Eighty three-year old Krishna ruled out quitting the Congress and said he was the disciplined soldier of the party. However, close aides of former Chief Minister in the Congress feel he was letdown in the party and it will have impact on the party. Krishna a powerful Vokkaliga, a dominant community from the Cauvery heartland Mandya has brought Congress into saddle with a majority during 1999 to 2004.
Sitting Rajya Sabha member BK Hariprasad and Prof Rajeev Gowda are the Congress nominees for the Upper House while KPCC president G Parameshwara, HM Revanna, Ivan D’Souza and Jayamma Balaraj will be nominated to the council. BJP’s KS Eshwarappa is also contesting for the Upper House.
Meanwhile, Janata Dal(S) candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections Kupendra Reddy, who filed his nomination papers on Saturday, has declared assets worth over Rs443 crore, including movable assets of Rs126 crore. His wife R Pushpavathi is worth Rs103 crore.
Rajeev Gowda, who is known to have a close association with Rahul, had stepped aside from the Bangalore South constituency to allow former Infosys CEO and UIDAI chairperson Nandan Nilekani to contest the seat as per the wishes of the Congress high command.
Four vacancies are set to come up from Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha this month. Krishna and BK Hariprasad are due to end their terms along with BJP members Prabhakar Kore and Rama Jois.
The BJP with 43 MlAs are in a position to send one MP to the Rajya Sabha. The party has nominated its sitting MP Prabhakar Kore for a second term.
The Congress is dependent on the Opposition Janata Dal Secular Party (which have 40 MlAs) to send a third candidate to the Rajya Sabha.