Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Monday filed his nomination for the December 22 bypoll to the Legislative Council.

Gowda was accompanied by his predecessor BS Yeddyurappa, BJP state unit president KS Eshwarappa and several Cabinet colleagues and ruling party MLAs.

He submitted papers to the Assembly Secretary, P Omprakasha at Vidhan Soudha, the state Secretariat. Assembly members comprise the electoral college.

In the 225-member Assembly, which includes a nominated member, BJP has the support of 121, including Textiles Minister Varthur Prakash, an independent, and the Speaker KG Bopaiah.
 
The Congress has 71 and the JDS 26. There are six independents, including B Sriramulu, who recently won the Bellary (Rural) bypoll after walking out of the ruling BJP.

“I have special trust in our MLAs. I am 100 percent sure that they will cast their ballot for me”, Gowda told reporters earlier in the day.

A Lok Sabha member, he took over as Chief Minister from Yeddyurappa on August 4 after he was asked to quit by the party Central leadership in the wake of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicting him.

He has to get elected from either House of the legislature within six months of the swearing-in to continue in his post as per constitutional provisions.