File Picture
The much talked about Karnataka Rajya Polls ended with no contest at all. It saw former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and two BJP candidates, who were in the fray, declared “unanimously” elected for four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka.
Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretary M K Vishalakshi, who is the returning officer for the Rajya Sabha polls, declared the “unanimous election” of Gowda and Kharge from the JD(S) and the Congress respectively, and BJP’s Iranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti, with no extra candidate in the fray.
“With none of the four validly nominated candidates in the fray withdrawing their candidature, they were declared unanimously elected,” officials said.
Today was the last date for withdrawal of candidature for biennial election to Rajya Sabha by elected members of Legislative Assembly.
This will be the first stint in Rajya Sabha for 77-year-old Kharge, who has always got elected directly by the people in his political career spanning over four decades.
For 87-year-old Gowda, this will be the second Rajya Sabha entry, the first time being in 1996 as Prime Minister.
Both Kharge and Gowda were defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Gulbarga and Tumkur parliamentary constituencies respectively.
