Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has surprised his own party leaders and shocked his arch rival HD Kumaraswamy by fielding a third candidate from Congress in the Rajya Sabha election scheduled for June 11. Retired IPS officer and educationist KC Ramamurthy filed nomination on Wednesday sending shockwaves across the JDS camp.
Till Wednesday, everybody was under the impression that there would be no contest. But the retired cop jumping into the poll fray is giving tense moments to both Congress and JDS leaders.
The JDS has decided to field a Mangalore based businessman BM Farooq after Infosys founder NR Narayanamurthy’s wife Sudha Murthy declined the offer of a Rajya Sabha seat.
The Congress has finalised the names of former Union ministers Oscar Fernandes and Jairam Ramesh for the first two seats from the state while the BJP has re-nominated Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu for the fourth consecutive term from the state amidst a strong online and mainstream media campaign against sending a Telugu speaker to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.
Reacting to the campaign, Naidu said that he was free to contest from anywhere in India.
Virtual split in JDS
Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s JDS has 40 MLAs. They still need five-six additional votes to win the Rajya Sabha seat. But, five-six JDS MLAs have revolted against the party indicating that they will back the Congress’s third candidate.
According to sources JDS state chief HD Kumaraswamy has managed the votes of six independent MLAs for the party candidate. Even if these independents vote, JDS will not be able to win the seat unless all 40 MLAs of the party back Farooq.
Congress Strategy
The Congress has 122 votes. It has 32 extra votes. Siddaramaiah is eyeing five JDS rebels and 11 independents. If he manages it, his third candidate will win.
But the Gowdas who are known for deft handling of any political crisis. They are reportedly in touch with at least half a dozen Congress MLAs who are unhappy with the party. If these Congress MLAs cross vote defying party whip, the third candidate will lose and Siddaramaiah will suffer a big setback.
Speaking to News18.com in New Delhi before returning to Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, "I am confident of Ramamurthy’s victory. Gowdas are known for horse-trading and selling the seat to businessmen. Wait for the results on June 11."
Reacting to Siddaramaiah’s charges Kumaraswamy said, "Entire state knows that Siddaramaiah is trying to split our party. He is offering some of our MLAs big money to defect. He is actually into horse-trading, not us.”
He said that JDS was confident of Farooq's victory. In the past an official Congress candidate had lost due to cross-voting. The Rajya Sabha election is now generating a lot of political heat in rain-drenched Bengaluru, which is also getting ready to welcome the monsoon in the next two weeks.
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