Congress leader C.M. Ibrahim, who filed his nomination on Monday for the bypoll to the Karnataka Legislative Council scheduled on August 31, is likely to be elected unopposed as the BJP and JD(S) have not fielded a candidate.
Legislative Assembly secretary S. Murthy, who is returning officer for the bypoll, told The Hindu that Mr. Ibrahim will be declared elected unopposed on August 24, the last day for withdrawal of nomination. “Scrutiny of nomination papers will be on Tuesday and if Mr. Ibrahim does not withdraw his papers by August 24, he will be declared elected unopposed,” he said.
The seat had been vacant following the death of BJP member Vimala Gowda, who had a term till June 2018. While filing nomination papers, Mr. Ibrahim was accompanied by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and other Congress leaders.
Replying to queries after filing his papers on whether he will be made a minister, he said: “They just got me married. I will handle the rest.”