Rahul Gandhi to Attend Mallikarjun Kharge’s Rajya Sabha Nomination in Bengaluru; CM Shivakumar Highlights Government Priorities

Bengaluru, June 4: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday announced that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections on Friday in Bengaluru, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi expected to be present during the filing process.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said the nomination ceremony would be a significant event for the party and would be attended by senior Congress leaders. According to the schedule released by the party, Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Bengaluru on June 5 and attend the nomination proceedings at Vidhana Soudha at around 1.30 p.m.

Apart from Kharge, senior Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan are also set to file their nominations from Karnataka for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Shivakumar stated that following Kharge’s nomination, the remaining party candidates would also complete the filing process. He added that nominations for the Legislative Council elections would take place simultaneously, with the Congress preparing to field five candidates.

“We have already announced four Legislative Council candidates. The name of the fifth candidate will be finalised and announced tomorrow,” he said.

Reflecting on his first day in office as Chief Minister, Shivakumar said the Congress government had begun work immediately by holding meetings with senior officials and reviewing governance priorities. He expressed confidence in the mandate received by the party and acknowledged the high expectations of the people.

“The people of Karnataka have placed immense trust in us. Expectations are naturally high from the very first day. We are committed to fulfilling those expectations through responsible governance,” he said, while noting that the Congress enjoys a strong position in the Assembly with 136 legislators.

The Chief Minister also sought to dispel speculation regarding leadership and organisational matters within the party. He said that senior leaders, including Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President B. K. Hariprasad, have been entrusted with responsibilities by the party high command and are working collectively to strengthen the organisation and ensure effective governance.

On the issue of free bus passes for students, Shivakumar clarified that the benefit would be reserved for students from Karnataka.

“Our welfare schemes are designed for the students of Karnataka. These facilities are intended for Kannadiga students and cannot be extended to students from other states,” he said.

He further announced that the government intends to provide free bus pass facilities to eligible students from the school level through postgraduate education, expanding access to affordable transportation for learners across the state.

Addressing questions about the proposed foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Congress Bhavan, Shivakumar said the programme had been postponed due to scheduling constraints and would be conducted on a later date.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to several national and state icons at the Vidhana Soudha premises, including Subhas Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Kanakadasa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Devaraj Urs and Mother Bhuvaneshwari.

Shivakumar also announced that he would visit Kanakapura on Sunday, where he plans to interact with people at around 20 different locations throughout the day. He said he would meet residents from morning till night and requested citizens in Bengaluru to allow him a couple of days as he remains occupied with election-related responsibilities.