The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Ananthamurthy files nomination papers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 18, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Ananthamurthy files nomination papers

Staff Reporter

JD(S), BJP put up industrialist Rajiv Chandrashekar

Bangalore: Jnanpith Award-winner U.R. Ananthamurthy on Friday filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections and appealed to the electors (MLAs) to choose between "the dignity of Kannadigas and money power."

Friday was the last day for filing of nominations for the elections to be held on March 28.

There is the expectation that the Congress, which decided against fielding a second candidate, might support the candidature of Prof. Ananthamurthy. It is clear that he will be taking on the industrialist Rajiv Chandrashekar, who is backed by the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, for the fourth seat.

With the three major parties announcing their main candidates, the election of K.B. Shanappa (BJP), M. Rajasekhara Murthy (JD-S) and K. Rahman Khan (Congress) has become a certainty.

Initiative

The Kannada Chaluvali leader Vatal Nagaraj and the suspended member of the Janata Dal (S) B.R. Patil, who is now with the All-India Progressive Janata Dal took the initiative in convincing Prof. Ananthamurthy to contest. Eight other MLAs, including five independents, proposed his nomination.

The litterateur's nomination has caused discomfort to the BJP-JD (S) coalition, which has backed Mr. Chandrashekar ignoring the claims of deserving persons in their own ranks.

The BJP has allotted its 34 surplus votes to Mr. Chandrashekar as directed by the national leadership of the party. This was stated today by Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

Second set of papers

A group of BJP MLAs on Friday filed a second set of nomination papers in support of the candidate. On Thursday, the JD(S) sponsored Mr. Chandrashekar's candidature.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M. Mallikarjun Kharge told The Hindu that the Congress was ready to field Prof. Ananthamurthy, but the AIPJD members were hesitant to vote for him as they feared that the JD(S), of which they are technically members, would issue a whip.

Mr. Nagaraj told presspersons that the Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh had assured them that the surplus Congress votes would be cast in favour of Prof. Ananthamurthy.

The other MLAs who proposed the name of Prof. Ananthamurthy are G.V. Srirama Reddy of the CPI(M), S. Rajendran (Republican Party of India), H.C. Mahadevappa, K. Venkatesh, Mahadev, H.Y. Meti and Vaijnath Patil (AIPJD).

Declaring that he is serious about the contest, Prof. Ananthamurthy said he will meet all the MLAs personally to seek their votes.

The litterateur expressed confidence that all the MLAs who value the dignity and self-respect of Karnataka and Kannada would vote for him even if the JD(S) and the BJP issue a whip to vote for "an outsider."

He said he had not thought of contesting until he was approached by Mr. Nagaraj and Mr. Patil, he added.

Ten in fray

There are ten candidates in the fray for the four Rajya Sabha seats.

Among them is another industrialist, Mallappa Channappa of Hassan district, who filed his nomination papers as an independent.

Four other independents who have filed their papers are Shashikumar, M. Muni Reddy, T.D.R. Harishchandra and Sudhakar.

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