The Election Commission of India recently announced that the by-elections to three vacant seats in the Karnataka Legislative Council will be held on June 30. The three members of the BJP resigned as MLCs to contest the recent Assembly elections, and the ECI will now hold the by-elections to fill these vacant posts in the Upper House. The ECI will issue a notification on June 13, and the last date for filing nomination papers is June 20. Voting will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on June 30, followed by counting of the votes at 5 pm. The election process will conclude by July 4.
Members of the Legislative Assembly will elect three MLCs, and Congress is likely to win all three seats. Congress has 24 MLAs, and BJP has 34. JDS has eight members, with one independent MLC and the chairperson of the Upper House, and seven seats are vacant. With the upcoming election, Congress can increase their number to 27.
Sources say that AICC secretary NS Boseraju, who’s been given the portfolios of minor irrigation and science and technology in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, will be one of the three candidates contesting the MLC elections. He’s not a member of the Legislative Assembly.
BJP’s Laxman Savadi, Baburao Chinchansur, and R Shankar quit as MLCs to contest the recent Assembly elections. While Savadi and Chinchansur joined Congress to contest polls, Shankar joined NCP. Among the three, only Savadi won.
