Hot fight in Rajya Sabha elections for four seats in Karnataka

New Delhi:

Voting is underway for the Rajya Sabha elections

for four seats in Karnataka

.

Amidst the suspense on the fourth seat, there has been a heated contest between the two main opposition parties Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).

Two JDS MLAs cross vote.

In favor of Congress, JDS leader Kumaraswamy admitted that 30 out of 32 MLAs supported the party.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress high command has strengthened the BJP by not supporting the candidate of a secular party like JDS.

JD(S)

chief HD Kumaraswamy in an interview to NDTV accused the Congress of having no interest in defeating the BJP candidate. 

Six candidates have filed nominations for four seats in Karnataka, leading to a tough fight for the fourth seat.

The JD(S) had reportedly shifted its MLAs to a hotel to stop the Congress movement, which it has accused of doing "dirty politics" to win the elections.

In a direct attack on former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy told NDTV that the Congress leader is prejudiced to see us lose.

BJP has fielded three candidates, Congress has fielded two candidates and Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded one candidate.

The ongoing tussle between the parties is about the fourth seat.

Regarding the prospects in this challenging election, senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that we will win all the three seats including the one contested by our candidate Lahar Singh.

A candidate needs 45 votes to win in the Rajya Sabha elections.

BJP can easily win two seats and Congress can win one seat on the basis of its current strength.

Although BJP has 32 seats and Congress has 24 seats.

JD(S) also has 32.

Despite not getting enough votes to win the fourth seat, the three parties have fielded their candidates. 

Kumaraswamy said that his party had requested the Congress for a second preferential vote for their candidate.

He claimed that 22 of these votes of the old party MLAs would also put his candidate in the leading position for the elimination round.


The JD(S) chief alleged that I had requested the Congress to support us and support our candidate if you want to defeat the BJP, but Siddaramaiah wanted us to withdraw our candidate.

Both the parties have vowed to defeat the BJP, but none is ready to withdraw from the race.