Karnataka MLC Poll Results: Congress Wins 5 Seats, BJP Bags 2

The ruling Congress secured a convincing victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections on Thursday, winning five of the seven seats contested in the first electoral test since the DK Shivakumar-led government assumed office. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the remaining two seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) failed to secure representation. The outcome has also sparked speculation about cross-voting, with reports suggesting that some BJP and JD(S) legislators may have supported Congress candidates, enabling the party to secure a higher vote tally than anticipated.

Congress Leads

Voting for the seven Legislative Council seats elected by MLAs was held at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Eight candidates were in the fray for the vacancies created by the impending retirement of seven sitting members on June 30.

Congress candidates Thippannappa Kamknoor, PV Mohan, BK Hariprasad, Shivanna BS and Vinay Karthik Prakash emerged victorious. The BJP’s Lingaraj Patil and Raghu R also secured seats in the Upper House.

The result marks a significant win for the Congress government, which viewed the election as an early indicator of its political strength within the state legislature.

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Cross-Voting Buzz

Political attention has largely focused on reports of cross-voting during the election. Sources indicated that Congress candidates received more votes than expected, fuelling speculation that legislators from the BJP and JD(S) may have crossed party lines.

While no official confirmation has been provided regarding the alleged cross-voting, the vote pattern has prompted discussions within political circles about possible discontent among opposition legislators.

The JD(S) suffered a setback as its lone candidate, Govindaraju, was defeated in the contest. The party’s failure to secure a seat has added to questions about its influence in the current political landscape of Karnataka.

Seats Up For Renewal

The election was necessitated by the retirement of seven Legislative Council members whose terms conclude on June 30. These include Congress leaders Naseer Ahmed, Tippannappa and BK Hariprasad; BJP members N Nagaraju (MTB), Prathap Simha Nayak K and Sunil Vallyapur; and JD(S) leader Govindaraju.

With the Congress securing five of the seven available seats, the result is being viewed as a morale booster for the ruling party and an important early political success under Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s leadership.

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