Karnataka: Opposition to make CM’s son an MLC, fresh faces preferred

Yathindra’s name figures among 64 aspirants to fill-up 11 Council seats wherein MLAs will vote to elect new MLCs. Out of 11 seats, the Congress party is eyeing to win in 7 seats considering its numerical strength in the Assembly having 136 MLAs of the 224.

Regarding fielding his son for the Council polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru on Friday that he was unaware of the decision of the high command to make Yathindra an MLC and does not have an idea about the high command’s decisions. He added that during the Assembly election held in 2023, the high command had asked Yathindra to vacate his Varuna Assembly seat in Mysuru to make way for him to contest the election.

Obeying the orders of the high command, Yathindra vacated the seat for his father Siddaramaiah to contest and in the election Siddaramaiah defeated his nearest rival V. Somanna of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Not only Siddaramaiah won, his Congress party won with a majority and he became the Chief Minister for the second time. He had earlier served as the Chief Minister from 2013-18.

A party source on condition of anonymity told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday that there is opposition to make Yathindra an MLC and these leaders insisted that atleast 3 fresh faces be fielded in the Council polls.

Besides, the party sources said, there are discussions not to re-nominate N.S, Boseraju currently serving as a Minister and also K. Govindaraju considering that both have served as MLCs twice. Both of them may be replaced by candidates of their own castes. While Boseraju belongs to Raju Kshatriya caste, Govindaraju is a Vokkaliga.

Continuing, the source said party workers leaders were unhappy during the selection of party nominees to contest Lok Sabha polls and their grouse was that loyal party workers have not been given suitable positions.

Among the list of aspirants include-Kusuma, spokesperson of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, H.M. Revanna, Chairman of State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Board and a close confidante of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, B.R. Naidu, general secretary of KPCC and a close aide of general secretary of All India Congress Committee Randeep Singh Surjewala, former Member of Parliament V.S. Ugrappa, B.V. Srinivas, president of Indian Youth Congress among others.

Another party leader said that the party might consider giving representation to Christian community this time to contest Council polls and stated that the Congress party would finalise the candidates on May 30 or June 1 while the elections will be held on June 13.