- Congress secured five of seven Council seats, strengthening position.
- Cross-voting by alliance members aided Congress victory.
- BJP leadership expressed concern, demanding accountability for votes.
The Congress secured a decisive victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections on Thursday, winning five of the seven seats that went to polls and dealing a significant setback to the BJP-JD(S) alliance.
The outcome was aided by cross-voting from members of the opposition alliance. According to reports, at least six BJP legislators and between four and eight JD(S) lawmakers voted against their party lines.
The result helped the Congress clinch an unexpected fifth seat, strengthening its position in the 75-member Upper House.
BJP Leadership Seeks Answers
The election outcome has triggered concern within the BJP leadership.
According to PTI, BJP national president Nitin Nabin has summoned Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra to explain how the cross-voting took place.
Vijayendra acknowledged that members of both the BJP and JD(S) had cross-voted.
“There is no question of forgiving the MLAs in our party who have cross-voted. They will not be forgiven. We also have some information on who might have played this game,” he told ANI.
The episode has exposed strains within the NDA in Karnataka and prompted calls for accountability within the alliance.
Winners Of The Legislative Council Elections
The Congress won five seats, while the BJP secured two.
Congress Winners
- Thippannappa Kamknoor
- P.V. Mohan
- B.K. Hariprasad
- Shivanna B.S.
- Vinay Karthik Prakash
BJP Winners
- Lingaraj Patil
- Raghu R.
JD(S) candidate Govindraju, who was relying on BJP support for the final seat, was defeated.
JD(S) Candidate Falls Short
With 18 MLAs in the Assembly, Govindraju was expected to secure at least 18 first-preference votes before receiving transfers from BJP legislators.
Instead, he received only 14 votes, indicating that at least four JD(S) MLAs voted against the party’s official position.
According to ANI, the BJP had designated three of its MLAs to support the JD(S) candidate, but the vote tally remained at 14.
Congress Strengthens Position In Upper House
The elections were held ahead of the retirement of seven MLCs on June 30, including Congress leaders Naseer Ahmed, Tippannappa and B.K. Hariprasad; BJP leaders N. Nagaraju (MTB), Prathap Simha Nayak K. and Sunil Vallyapur; and JD(S) leader Govindaraju.
Following the results, the Congress’s strength in the Legislative Council increased from 34 to 39 members.
The BJP now has 29 members, the JD(S) has six, and there is one Independent member.
The Congress, which has 134 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly, had the numbers to elect four candidates on its own but required support from at least six additional legislators to secure a fifth seat.
BJP Admits Cross-Voting
Vijayendra said preliminary information suggested significant cross-voting from both alliance partners.
“Yesterday, during the voting, there were six to seven cross-votes from the JD(S) side as well. From BJP too, at least four to five cross-votes have happened. We have also received that information,” he said.
He added that he had sought time to meet BJP national president Nitin Nabin and expected the meeting to take place by Monday.
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Vijayendra also promised strict action against those responsible for violating the party line.
Congress Targets NDA Leadership
Congress leaders described the result as evidence of dissatisfaction within the BJP and JD(S).
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said, “It’s a clear validation that BJP and JD(S) have no leadership. There is no depth in leadership. It’s an outright rejection of Ashok and Vijendra and Kumaraswamy’s leadership.”
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala also said the outcome reflected support among legislators for the party’s governance in the state.
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