Karnataka Rajya Sabha elections have turned into a contest with five candidates in the fray for four seats.
Highlights
- Congress is accused of sponsoring trip to Mumbai for 14 Independent MLAs
- Janata Dal Secular has alleged that Congress has hidden the MLAs away
- In Karnataka, five candidates in the fray for four seats
It's being called the Game of Thrones, Karnataka version. Five days before Rajya Sabha elections in the state, the ruling Congress has been accused of sponsoring a trip to Mumbai for 14 Independent lawmakers in the state to ensure that they vote for its candidate.
Opposition party Janata Dal Secular has made that charge, alleging that the Congress has hidden them away. The JDS is fighting the Congress for the same set of votes from Independents after the Karnataka Rajya Sabha election turned into a contest with five candidates in the fray for four seats.
The BJP has fielded one candidate - union minister Nirmala Sitharaman - and has enough lawmakers in the state to ensure she will win. The Congress has enough votes for two candidates - Oscar Fernandes and Jairam Ramesh, but for its third candidate, KC Rama Murthy, it will need the support of the Independents.
The Janata Dal (Secular) needs that support to see its one candidate, BM Farookh, into the upper house of Parliament. Mr Farookh has the distinction of being the wealthiest candidate in Karnataka.
"Yesterday night I think in an Indigo flight from Goa too some MLAs directly went. Why have these MLAs travelled now to Mumbai? Who is sponsoring them? Some Congress MLAs were also with those (Independent MLAs)," alleged HD Kumaraswamy of the JDS.
Karnataka's power minister DK Shivakumar, has strongly denied the allegation of a Congress hand in the travel plans of the Independents. "They're free to go anywhere, they can visit pilgrimage places," said Mr Shivakumar, making a few allegations of his own.
"Lot of torture, I have been told lots of torture for the independent MLAs in their house. They are being forced, threatened by the JDS MLAs. I think they wanted to be safe and not harassed," the minister added.
The JDS has to contend with more than missing Independent lawmakers. BM Farookh, who has declared assets of more than 600 crores, is not popular choice in the party, mainly because it is being accused of choosing him for his bank balance. His response to NDTV on this issue, "There were richer aspirants than me. And just because I am rich does not meaning I am helping to buy these horses, donkeys..."