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Triggering a heated debate over her candidature, actress Hema Malini on Monday entered the fray from Karnataka for the lone Rajya Sabha seat, even as the opposition joined hands to support noted writer K Marulasiddappa for the position.
Minutes after Hema Malini filed her nomination as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the polls, the eminent Kannada writer filed his papers as an independent backed by the Congress and the Janata Dal - Secular.
Hema Malini's entry has kicked up the 'outsider-vs-local' debate in some quarters and reportedly left a section of the ruling BJP's state unit unhappy. The opposition's move is being perceived as an attempt to take advantage of this sentiment.
"The pride of Kannada land needs to be upheld," said Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah (Congress), who was accompanied by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara and JD-S leader H D Revanna, as Marulasiddappa filed his nomination at the state secretariat.
Earlier, accompanied by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and BJP's Karnataka unit president K S Eshwarappa, Hema Malini filed her papers and later thanked the party's state unit for giving her this opportunity. She said she would serve Karnataka if she is elected and put in her best efforts in this regard.
On her nomination reportedly angering a section of the party, she said that on occasions of lot of happiness and some anger go hand-in-hand, but added that she has not annoyed anybody and has made many people happy (by filing her nomination).
Marulasiddappa, former chairman of the Karnataka Nataka Academy, said he has been urged to contest by well-wishers, friends, Congress and JD-S as 'a symbol of Kannada pride'.
Supporting Hema Malini's candidature, Yeddyurappa expressed hope that she would advance Karnataka's cause in Rajya Sabha. Her choice was made by the party's central leadership, he pointed out.
Eshwarappa slammed critics who sought to project Hema Malini as an 'outsider'.
"She is an artiste and a national asset, like Lata Mangeshkar and Bhimsen Joshi. Trying to bracket them on the basis of state, language and caste is not good. To send Hema Malini to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka itself is a proud moment," he said.
Before the surprise announcement of her candidature, the name of former Union minister of state for finance V Dhananjaya Kumar, who is the Special Representative of Karnataka in New Delhi, was doing the rounds.
BJP's strength in the assembly will ensure Hema Malini's victory.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of former Union minister M Rajasekhara Murthy. The winning candidate's term would end on April 2 next year.