JD(S) to Cong big guns: Back our man in RS poll

Shyam Sundar Vattam |NT
Bengaluru

Various combinations and permutations are being worked out ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls to four seats from Karnataka on June 10 with all three major parties-Congress, BJP and JD(S)- setting their eyes on the fourth seat for which the contest is wide open with none of the parties having the numbers to win the seat.

Hectic activity was witnessed in the JD(S)  camp with party leaders visiting the houses of Congress leaders to seek their support for  JD(S) candidate, Kupendra Reddy. The JD(S) has just 30 odd MLAs and needs the support of another 15 to see Reddy through for which they need the support of Congress MLAs.

The nominations of all six candidates-three from BJP, two from Congress and one from JD(S) were found to be in order n Wednesday. Thursday is the last day for withdrawal of nominations.
The JD(S) MLCs T.A. Saravana and B.M. Farook met Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and requested him to withdraw the second Congress candidate, Mansoor Ali Khan and support JD(S) nominee Kupendra Reddy.  It is learnt that former minister H.D. Revanna too met Siddaramaiah and sought support for Reddy.