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Mallya adds fizz to RS poll in Karnataka

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

The biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, being held in Bangalore tomorrow, will witness an exciting contest with lots of fizz, thanks to the presence of flamboyant liquor baron Vijay Mallya as an independent candidate backed by the Opposition.

Though the contest in the state is for only four seats, the ruling Congress is confident of grabbing at least three on the strength of the brute majority it commands in the 224-member legislative assembly, what with a chunk of 11 independents joining its 126-strong kitty recently.

The Congress has fielded three candidates: outgoing Rajya Sabha member Rehman Khan, scheduled caste politician K B Krishnamurthy, and former member of the state legislative council Bimba Raikar, who replaced state Culture Minister Rani Satish at the last minute, following the latter's refusal to accept the nomination.

The contest becomes fierce for the fourth seat with the entry of Mallya, czar of the Rs 30 billion UB Group, with his finger in almost every pie, be it winning horses or media!

Mallya is counting on the support of 18 members of the Janata Dal United, five legislators of the Janata Dal Secular, and the remaining eight independents. Politically closer and related to Chief Minister S M Krishna (Mallya's stepbrother is Krishna's son-in-law), the Bangalore-based baron is lobbying hard for the extra votes of the Congress to reach the magic figure of 45 to ensure his passage to the Upper House.

The grapevine has it that the JD-U has decided to back Mallya to snub its friend-turned-foe Bharatiya Janata Party, which has fielded former Congress minister M Rajasekhara Murthy, ignoring its ally's request to support its candidate, former chief minister J H Patel.

With the BJP having 43 members in the assembly, just two short of the winning mark, it will not be easy for Mallya. But the ace punter has left no stone unturned to court the high as well as the low across the board to back him on D-Day.

On the last date for filing nominations a fortnight ago, Mallya had set the corridors of the state secretariat abuzz by arriving to file his papers even as the deadline was nearing with journalist M J Akbar, editor of the baron's newspaper, The Asian Age, and liquor contractor Adikeshavalu.

Political pundits believe Mallya is being propped up by senior Janata Dal politicians, including Ramakrishna Hegde and Patel, who have a bone to pick with the BJP in the wake of the sound drubbing the former ruling party received during the parliamentary-cum-assembly election in August-September last year.

Soon after filing his papers, Mallya issued a statement seeking the support of all MLAs cutting across party lines, and asserted that he was keen on serving the people of Karnataka and the country.

Though the Congress has adequate strength to ensure the passage of all its three candidates, the confusion and infighting in the party is expected to help Mallya.

The denial of re-nomination to H Hanumanthappa, a close supporter of former Union minister C K Jaffar Sharief, has upset the latter. Recently, Sharief openly attacked Krishna and hinted at taking on party president Sonia Gandhi, but quickly retreated, saying he had nothing against her leadership.

Nevertheless, the party high command decided against re-nominating Hanumanthappa to show Sharief his place.

Another senior politician, Janardhan Poojary, who has also been denied a ticket to the Rajya Sabha, is sulking. Poojary actually failed to make it to the Upper House as K C Kondiah, the former parliamentarian from Bellary, has been given the ticket. Moreover, Poojary's renomination was opposed by supporters of former chief minister M Veerappa Moily.

With the strength of the independents dwindling and a vertical split in the 10-member JD-S, a hot contest is on the cards for Mallya on the morrow.

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