New Delhi, Feb 19, (DHNS): In a surprise move, the BJP central leadership on Friday selected well-known film actress Hema Malini as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha byelection in Karnataka.The central election committee here decided to field the former Rajya Sabha member and party’s national vice-president for the seat in the byelection which has been necessitated by the death of M Rajasekhara Murthy.

The seat has one year left for its term to complete.Announcing the party decision, BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar said Hema Malini, 63, has been serving the party since long and has taken part in election campaigns.

The party choice, which has caught many unawares, shocked Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa whose choice was former Union minister V Dhananjay Kumar, currently the state representative in Delhi. However, ignoring Yeddyurappa’s claims, the party decided to choose the film star, popularly known as “dream girl.” The chief minister, said sources close to him, has been upset after he was “informed” of Hema Malini’s candidature.

That the state election committee failed to meet and send in its recommendation came in handy for the national election committee to take a decision in favour of the Hindi film star.

“It sent out a signal that the committee was not united. Thus, it became easier for the national committee to select the actress,” party sources said.  

Hema Malini is the second non-Kannadiga to be nominated for the Rajya Sabha membership by the BJP. Party general secretary Venkaiah Naidu from Andhra Pradesh has been a Rajya Sabha member for three times from Karnataka.

Nothing prevents Hema Malini from contesting for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat, though she neither resides in Karnataka nor is she a registered voter in the State.

When the NDA-led government was in power, it amended the People’s Representatives Act which stipulates that a person need not be a voter of a particular state from where he/she contests Rajya Sabha elections.