Nirmala Sitharaman on Karnataka BJP list for Rajya Sabha polls

BENGALURU: The BJP Core Committee has recommended five names, including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the Rajya Sabha polls, and 20 names, including B S Yediyurappa’s son and BJP Karnataka Vice President B Y Vijayendra for the MLC polls.

The core committee meeting was attended by BJP in-charge for Karnataka Arun Singh, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP National Secretary C T Ravi, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa, D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar, minister R Ashoka and former ministers K S Eshwarappa and Laxman Savadi. 

A senior BJP leader who was part of the meeting told The New Indian Express that of the four Rajya Sabha seats, the party is confident of winning two seats comfortably. It is likely to fall short of votes in the third seat for which it might approach the JDS, after consultation with the party high command. “We were given instructions to reserve one seat for Sitharaman who is a sitting Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka since 2016. There is also a demand to reserve a seat for another sitting Rajya Sabha member K C Ramamurthy as he had left the Congress to join the BJP. Additionally, we have recommended the names of BJP State Vice President Nirmal Kumar Surana and MLC Lehar Singh, besides entrepreneur Prakash Shetty,’’ the leader said. 

BJP sources said the leaders in the core committee took into consideration the representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBC, and women while deciding the names of nominees for MLC elections. According to the sources, the committee has shortlisted 20 names, including that of B Y Vijayendra, N L Narendra Babu, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP’s Mahila Morcha President Geetha Vivekananda, Lakshman Savadi, former MLC Bhanuprakash, among others. Of the seven seats, BJP appears to be in a position to win four. The party’s Parliamentary Board meeting is expected to be held soon to finalise the names.  Sources said B S Yediyurappa is keen on getting his second son Vijayendra elected to the Upper House. Vijayendra is also a contender for a Cabinet berth in Bommai’s cabinet. 

BJP’s RS recommendations 
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP State Vice President Nirmal Kumar Surana, former MLC Lehar Singh, entrepreneur Prakash Shetty and K C Ramamurthy 
MLC picks
B Y Vijayendra, N L Narendra Babu, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP’s Mahila Morcha President Geetha Vivekananda, Laxman Savadi, former MLC Bhanuprakash and others.