S M Krishna files nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls

Former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna yesterday filed his nomination papers seeking election to Rajya Sabha.

Krishna, who returned to active politics after a stint as Governor of Maharashtra ahead of the recently held assembly elections in Karnataka, was one of the two Congress nominees seeking election to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Industrialist and mine owner Anil Lad is the second Congress nominee for the Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka Assembly.

The Congress, which has strength of 80 members in the Legislative Assembly, was in a position of winning only one seat. However, the Congress leadership managed to secure the support of JD (S), which has 28 members, to field its second candidate.

Krishna was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly M Mallikarjun Kharge and others at the time of filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls, which will be held on June 26.

Meanwhile, former Federal Minister of State M V Rajashekaran filed his nomination papers for the election to the Legislative Council from the Assembly as a Congress candidate. Though the Congress had the option of fielding a second candidate for the Council, the party ceded the seat to JD (S) in return for its support to its second candidate for the Rajya Saba seat.

The JD (S) has fielded former Minister M C Nanaiah and former legislator A T Ramaswamy to the Legislative Council.

Meanwhile, former Jharkand Governor Rama Jois and leading educationist Prabhakar Kore filed their nominations to the Rajya Sabha as BJP candidates. Home Minister V S Acharya also filed his nomination papers to the Legislative Council as BJP candidate along with Bharathi Shetty, Siddaraju and N Shankarappa.