Rajya Sabha polls: Congress, JD(S) hold firm, polls to take place on June 10

With the Congress and JD(S) turning down requests from each other to withdraw their candidates from the Rajya Sabha election fray, polling will take place on June 10 for the four seats.

The BJP has fielded union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and senior leader Lahar Singh Siroya, while senior leader Jairam Ramesh and KPCC general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan have filed papers as Congress candidates. The JD(S) has fielded real estate baron Kupendra Reddy.

Since MLAs are the voters, the BJP has the numbers to win two seats and the Congress one. Since the two parties will allot votes, Sitharaman, Jaggesh and Ramesh will win.


A contest will break out for the fourth seat among Siroya, Khan and Reddy. Political analysts are predicting cross-voting which they say may end up benefiting the BJP.

Despite hectic lobbying by the JD(S), the Congress did not withdraw its candidate fearing that it is the JD(S) and not the BJP which is its principal opponent in rural pockets of the old Mysuru region. The Congress, sources said, did not want to confuse its voters by backing the JD(S) at the last minute when its stakes are high in the Assembly elections due in less than a year.