B'lore: Srinivas Poojary, Pratapchandra Shetty Reelected Unopposed to Council

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Dec 4: Two sitting MLCs from the undivided Dakshina Kannada district – Kota Srinivasa Poojary of BJP and Pratapchandra Shetty of Congress -  were declared elected to the Karnataka legislative council unopposed on Friday, the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

As the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for the 25 seats scheduled to face biennial elections on December 18 ended, 93 candidates were left in the fray as a total of 71 candidates withdrew their papers. The counting of votes is scheduled to be held on December 21.

Srinivas Poojary, Pratapchandra Shetty

The elections to the upper house are crucial for both the ruling BJP and principal opposition Congress in the 75-member house for gaining a majority as both are evenly matched with 28 seats each with as many as 19 of the 25 outgoing members belonging to Congress and barely four from BJP with JD(S) accounting for one. The strength of JD(S) is 12.

Of the total of 93 candidates remaining in the fray, the ruling BJP accounts for the maximum number of 21 with Congress 16 and JD(S) 8, both of which have entered into an electoral understanding the defeat the ruling party. A total of 44 Independent candidates are in the fray.

With names of only two candidates left after the end of the deadline for withdrawal of nominations from the two seats in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district, both the candidates were declared elected unopposed.

There will be direct contest between BJP and Congress in Bidar, Chikmagalur and Bangalore Urban while Congress, JD (S) and BJP are involved in a triangular fight in the five constituencies of Raichur, Chitradurga, Hassan, Tumkur, Mandya.

The JD (U) has fielded its candidates in Dharwad constituency while Kannada Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj has contested from Mysore.

Though there are two seats each in Mysore and Belgaum constituencies, the BJP has fielded only one candidate in both constituencies.

Constituency-wise break-up of candidates in the fray are: Bidar – two, Belgaum and Gulbarga – six each, Uttara Kannada – four, Dharwad – eight, Raichur, Hassan, Tumkur, Mandya, Kodagu and Chitradurga– 3 each, Bellary six, Bangalore Rural, Kolar and Shimgoa – five each, Bangalore Urban and Chikmagalur – two, Mysore – 13 and Bijapur 11.

Though there is no limit to the check election expenses to be incurred by candidates during the run-up to the election, the officials at the state election commission office said action would be taken against candidates under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Representation of People Act, 1951 if specific complaints were received.