2 Cong, 1 JD(S) candidates in fray for 3 Council seats; BJP’s helplessness disheartens cadre

Bengaluru, Sept 25: Two from the Congress, one from the Janata Dal (Secular) and two independent candidates have filed their nomination papers for the byelections to the Legislative Council.

While M.C. Venugopal and Nazeer Ahmed filed nominations on behalf of the Congress, H.M. Ramesh Gowda entered the fray on JD(S) ticket.

The two Independents who filed their nominations are Harishchandra Gowda and Venkateshwara Mahaswamiji.

Returning Officer M.S. Kumaraswamy told reporters that Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Harishchandra filed nominations to the seat that had been vacated by BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa on his election to the Assembly. Similarly, Mr. Venugopal filed nominations to the seat vacated by Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara who is also elected to the Assembly.

Mr. Ramesh Gowda and Mr. Mahaswamiji had filed their nominations to the seat vacated by BJP leader V. Somanna, he said. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Tuesday.

BJP stays away

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s sudden decision to stay away from the byelections to the Legislative Council has sent confusing signals among its own legislators as well as a few MLAs from the ruling combine, who are allegedly being wooed by the saffron party.

The party cadre, particularly legislators, are now wondering if the party leadership lacked confidence to face the contest as the names of probable candidates were doing the rounds though they were not formally announced. The byelections were being viewed as a precursor to any possibility of formation of government by the BJP as that would have turned into a political opportunity for the party to indicate its strength.

Each of the candidate requires 112 votes to register victory in these elections in which MLAs will exercise their franchise. The BJP has only 104 MLAs as against the combined strength of the ruling coalition that has 118 members, including two Independents.

In this context, political circles were abuzz with speculation that there could have been a possibility of cross-voting in the Council bypolls as both the ruling and Opposition parties were keen to show their political strength.

But the manner in which the BJP has distanced itself from the bypolls has left its cadre bewildered, besides making them wonder if the party leaders did not want to face any embarrassing situation where it would be compelled to show its actual numerical strength.

“It appears that after making tall claims about wooing MLAs from the ruling combine, the party did not want to take political risks as stakes were high for the top leaders if the party could not muster the required number of additional votes,” a BJP leader said.