Council polls: JDS bags two seats, Congress and BJP 1 each

BANGALORE: JDS today bagged two Legislative Council seats and the ruling Congress and BJP one each in the biennial elections for teachers and graduates constituencies, even as the Governor nominated five persons to the Upper House ignoring BJP's protests.

Elections were held for two graduates and teachers constituencies each on June 20.

JDS had in its kitty the seats from the constituencies of Bangalore Teachers and South-East Graduates. Puttanna won the Bangalore Teachers constituency by securing 8,531 votes, while his closest rival M Neelaiah of the BJP got 5,531 votes, officials said. R Chowda Reddy trounced BJP's sitting member A H Shivayogiswamy in South-East Graduates constituency.

Congress' Sharanappa Mattur won the North-East Teachers constituency by securing 9,022 votes, while Shashil G Namoshi of BJP, a three-time MLC, garnered 6,933 votes.

S V Sanakanur of BJP bagged the West graduates constituency by securing 22,506 votes over his closest rival Vasant Basavaraj Horatti of the JD(S) who got 8,574 votes.

Meanwhile, Governor H R Bhardwaj has nominated V S Ugrappa, K Abdul Jabbar, Jaimala Ramachandra, Ivan D'souza and Iqbal Ahmed Saradagi as members of the Council with immediate effect, according to state electoral authorities. Jaimala was a Kannada film actress.

The Governor cleared the names after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met him amidst reports that it was an effort by the latter to convince Bhardwaj about the list.

On Sunday, a BJP delegation had met the Governor and sought to prevail upon him to reject the government's recommendation to nominate party functionaries to the Legislative Council, saying it is in violation of the Constitution.

BJP had pointed out that as per the Constitution, the members to be nominated should be persons having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, arts, co-operative movement and social service.

It said the names proposed are active politicians of the ruling party and were either defeated or were denied party tickets in the previous elections. The BJP leaders had also reminded the Governor that the nomination of V Somanna (BJP) in 2010 was rejected by him on the same grounds.