JD(S) eyeing V S Ugrappa's MLC seat?

Ballari: Having backed the Congress in the recent Ballari Lok Sabha bypoll, which saw its candidate  V S Ugrappa win by a massive majority, the Janata Dal (S) is now believed to be eyeing the MLC seat in the state legislature that the latter vacated to become  MP.

Mr Ugrappa, who was nominated to the Legislative Council in June 2014,  had still a few years to go as MLC as his term was due to end only in June 2020, but his election to the Lok Sabha brought his stint in the Council to an abrupt end. 

With half a dozen Congress leaders from Ballari already lobbying  for his MLC seat, the party appears to be in a fix with the JD(S) too claiming it in exchange for its support in the Lok Sabha bypoll.  

Left wing Dalit leaders of the Congress are lobbying hard for the seat as  the party high command had reportedly promised the community a representation in the state's Legislative Council ahead of the 2018 assembly poll.

But party insiders say the JD(S)  too has decided to make a pitch for the MLC seat as it has no representation either in the Council or Assembly from Ballari. 

According to sources, mining baron, Hothur Mohammed Iqbal, who unsuccessfully contested the 2018 assembly poll from Ballari city is likely to emerge as the dark horse in the race for the MLC seat as he is reportedly in the good books of both JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for taking care of the party's affairs during the recent LS bypoll.