The fate of 168 candidates contesting the legislative Council elections for 25 seats from the local authorities’ constituencies has been sealed on Sunday after one of the most expensive poll campaigns of recent years in Karnataka. Counting will be on December 30.
A total of 1,07,123 voters were eligible to vote in the exercise, including members of all urban and rural local bodies and MlAs.
The Congress fielded candidates in 21 constituencies, while the BJP and JD(S) fielded candidates in 20 and 18 constituencies respectively.
The Congress, which is facing rebellion from members who didn’t get tickets, has to counter the JD(S) that is tacitly supporting the BJP in constituencies where it has not fielded candidates. For instance in Bengaluru Urban, JD(S) State chief HD Kumaraswamy has openly asked his party workers to support BJP nominee Dodda Basavaraju. Here, the outgoing MlC, Dayananda Reddy of the Congress, is in the fray as a rebel, while the Congress has fielded M Narayanaswamy. The BJP has also reciprocated to the JD(S).
In the double constituency seat of Hubballi-Dharwad, the Congress party’s decision to retire Nagaraj Chebbi has upset a section of the party, while in Kolar, Congress MP KH Muniyappa’s candidate Anil Kumar is facing the heat from his own party men. The JD(S), which is contesting 18 seats, hopes to win in Mysuru, Hassan, Tumakuru, Mandya, Kolar and Bengaluru rural.
The legislative council election has become a major show of strength between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Opposition parties.