Bangalore (DH):State congress party has decided to field Rajeev Gowda, who is AICC spokesperson, IIM-B professor and son of former Legislative Assembly Speaker M V Venkatappa for Rajya Sabha polls.

The party is most likely to field B K Hariprasad for one more seat. With the JD(S) fielding Kupendra Reddy, the Congress may not try to compete for the third seat in the Rajya Sabha. But there was no official confirmation on the candidates.

The Congress, by virtue of its strength in the Legislative Assembly, can win at least two Rajya Sabha seats and four council seats.

Though Monday is the last day for filing nomination papers, the Congress had not announced its candidates till late on Sunday evening. Sources in the party said that there were not many supporters when the candidature of Krishna was discussed at the highest level in the party. Many State Congress leaders, who had shown their allegiance to Krishna, did not take up his cause, it is said.

For Council seats, names of KPCC chief G Parameshwara, H M Revanna, Jayamma Balaraju and N S Boseraju were making rounds till late on Sunday evening. It is said that the party shortlisted candidates to file nomination papers, but the State leaders were clueless.