The announcement of the Election Commission to hold biennial elections to Rajya Sabha on June 19 is crucial for the main Opposition congress and JDS in Karnataka.  Four seats from Karnataka are going to be vacant and two members from Congress and one each from BJP and JDs are going to retire.  The election at the time of Covid-19 even though a low key affair ,  but the heat is on  political parties to get their maths and chemistry right to  make it to the upper house of the parliament.

This will be first such election since outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March and could set the tone for political activity over the next few months.

Four Rajya Sabha MP’s from Karnataka are retiring on June 25 after completing their six year term. These include two from Congress – Prof M V Rajeev Gowda and BK Hariprasad while Prabhakar Kore from the BJP and D Kupendra Reddy from JDS will also retire.

 In Karnataka the churning has started and many leaders are hoping to be in the fray to  make it to the upper house. Former Prime Minister HD Devgowda’s name is in the forefront of the fray.  87 year old Devegowda who has built JDs which has virtually become family party is likely to enter parliament through Rajya Sabha.

According to JDs leaders Devegowda is healthy and active and nothing wrong in seeking a Rajya Sabha seat. But the question is how does he manage the numbers?. Will he compromise with the Congress and help Congress leader Mallikharjuna M Kharge to get elected and grab the surplus votes.

According to Congress sources, Kharge who has lost elections from Gulabarga miserably is hoping to enter parliament through Rajya Sabha. However BK Hariprasad will certainly try for another term along with other aspirants.

A candidate needs 44 votes to get elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state. Looking at the strength of the assembly BJP can elect two Rajya Sabha MP’s and Congress one but it will have additional votes to spare. The Janata Dal currently has 34 members in the State legislative assembly and is short by 10 votes to send a RS member on its own.

According to JDs sources, since Gowda has good equation with the Congress High Command and Sonia Gandhi it’s easy for him to deal with local leaders to get surplus votes in his favour.  Gowda’s grandson is a Member of Parliament from Hassan, a strong hold of Devegowda who sacrificed his seat and got defeated badly from Tumakuru in the last parliamentary elections.  Also the analysts say it was the final act of survival for the JDs, which is struggling to keep its flock together.

Congress spokesperson V S Ugrappa said any decision on supporting Gowda’s candidature for the upper house would be taken by the ‘party high command.’

The ruling BJP with 117 members in Legislative Assembly will easily win two seats as against one seat it currently holds. The ruling  BJP is witnessing an internal strife of sorts as Belagavi strongman and Lingayat leader  Umesh Katti has been pitching for his brother’s candidature. The recent meeting of the BJP MLAs ahead of Rajya Sabha elections at Umesh Katti’s house has sent a sort of warning to Yediyurappa and finally party chief Amit Shah will take a call of selection of candidates. Eom/blr