Rajya Sabha polls: Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy urges Congress to support JD(S) candidate

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, JD(S) leader and former state Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy urged the Congress to support JD(S), which he said has "more votes". "To defeat the BJP, Congress should support JD(S) which has more votes than it. There is no doubt that history and people will decide in future based on the outcome of this election result. I firmly believe that honourable @rssurjewala will understand this point", tweeted Kumaraswamy tagging Congress national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

JD(S) has fielded entrepreneur and social worker Kupendra Reddy as its first candidate in the Rajya Sabha election. "He is an experienced Rajya Sabha member and All parties must extend support to him with an open mind. To strengthen the secular forces Congress must fully support Kupendra Reddy," said Kumaraswamy.  

The Congress had fielded Mansoor Ali Khan as its second candidate to corner the JD(S) and its bid to send Kupendra Reddy to the Rajya Sabha. "We filed Rajya Sabha candidature before JD(S). So JD(S) should support us instead of us supporting JD(S). To keep the BJP away from Rajya Sabha they should support Congress," said Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala.

According to KPCC chief DK Shivakumar, it is necessary for JD(S) to support Congress this time because they have supported JD(S) in the past. "We filed our candidate before JD(S) did. Mansoor Ali Khan is a young, dynamic leader so he should be in Rajya Sabha."

Six candidates are in the fray for the Rajya Sabha poll to four seats for the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka.

Mansoor Ali Khan told ANI, "I am very confident of winning the Rajya Sabha election as the whole Congress is standing by him." Former Union Minister Rehman Khan, father of Mansoor Ali Khan also spoke to former Prime Minister and JD(U) supremo HD Deve Gowda to support his son in Rajya Sabha.

Siddaramaiah said, "There are confidential voters. MLAs from JD(S) and BJP are in touch with Congress. So I am confident Mansoor Ali Khan will win."

The counting of votes will take place on June 10 at 5 pm, which is after the polling hours. The six candidates are in the fray for Rajya Sabha polls from the state -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh and outgoing MLC Lehar Singh Siroya from the BJP, former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and state general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan from the Congress, and former MP D Kupendra Reddy from the JD(S).