Karnataka: Congress leaders to file nomination for MLC polls at Vidhana Soudha

Bengaluru: Congress leaders, accompanied by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday arrived at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru to file their nomination for the Legislative Council Polls.
Today is the last day to file nominations.
The Congress party on Sunday, released the list of eight candidates who will be contesting for the Karnataka Legislative Council polls.
The proposal for the candidature has been approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the All India Congress Committee said in a press release.
The most significant name in the list included that of Congress leader Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the son of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Karnataka Minister NS Boseraju and former chairperson of the Karnataka Minorities Commission Bilkis Bano have also been announced by the party.
Other names released by the party are namely: Former MLC Ivan D'Souza, Kalaburagi district president Jagdev Guttedar, KPCC working president Vasanth Kumar, NS Boseraju and K Govindaraj.
The biennial elections for the state Legislative Council will be held for 11 seats, where the members will be elected by the MLAs. Basangouda Badarli, the former state Youth Congress chief Basangouda Badarli has been announced as the candidate for the by-election for the seat vacated by Jagdish Shettar, who joined BJP again after leaving the party ahead of assembly polls last year.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named former minister and Vokkaliga leader CT Ravi and Karnataka Maratha Communities Development Corporation Ltd former chairman MG Mule. The party has also renominated N Ravi Kumar to three seats.
In the 224-member Assembly of Karnataka, the Congress has 134 MLAs (including the Speaker) while the BJP has 67, and the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) has 19 MLAs. Besides this, there are two independent MLAs and an MLA representing Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha.
However, one MLA seat has been vacant after the demise of the Congress MLA of Shorapur Raja Venkatappa Naik.