The Hindu : Front Page : RS polls: Congress to support Ananthamurthy

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Sunday, Mar 26, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

RS polls: Congress to support Ananthamurthy

S. Rajendran

U.R. Ananthamurthy

BANGALORE: The Congress high command is understood to have directed the State unit to extend support to U.R. Ananthamurthy in the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

Sources in the party told The Hindu here on Saturday that Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh and KPCC President M. Mallikarjun Kharge called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the evening and apprised her of the situation with regard to the Rajya Sabha elections in the State.

Of the 64 votes with it, the Congress has reserved 46 votes for its official candidate and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha K. Rehman Khan and is left with 18 surplus votes, apart from the votes of six independents who have expressed support to the Congress.

The decision of the high command is expected to be placed before the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Monday.

Shot in the arm

The Congress decision has come as a shot in the arm for Prof. Ananthamurthy, who was hitherto expected to only put up a token fight against the other independent candidate and noted industrialist, Rajiv Chandrashekar.

Earlier in the day, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State unit secretary G.N. Nagaraj issued an appeal requesting for votes in favour of Prof. Ananthamurthy.

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