Three candidates from the Congress party, including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, submitted their nominations in Bengaluru on Tuesday for the by-polls to the Karnataka Legislative Council scheduled for June 30. The Congress has also fielded Minister N S Boseraju and Tippannappa Kamaknoor, while the BJP and JD(S) did not nominate any candidates for the by-polls.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar were present during the filing of nominations, showing their support for the Congress candidates. The three vacant seats in the Legislative Council resulted from the resignations of Baburao Chinchansur, R Shankar, and Laxman Savadi, who contested in the recent Assembly elections. Savadi emerged victorious, while Chinchansur and Shankar were unsuccessful.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed confidence in the success of all three Congress candidates in the by-polls. It is highly likely that the election of the three Congress MLCs will be unopposed, as they are expected to be elected by the sitting MLAs.
Jagadish Shettar, a former Chief Minister who served in the BJP government, joined the Congress party ahead of the assembly elections after being denied a ticket by the BJP. He contested from his Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency but lost to the BJP candidate. Shettar’s term as an MLC will extend until June 14, 2028. N S Boseraju will serve until June 17, 2024, and Tippannappa Kamaknoor until June 30, 2026.
The by-polls for the Karnataka Legislative Council are anticipated to proceed smoothly, with the Congress candidates being elected unopposed, solidifying their positions in the Council.