All five Congress candidates emerged victorious in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, while the BJP managed to secure two seats. However, the BJP’s NDA partner, the JD-S, faced defeat in the much-anticipated results announced recently. This outcome is considered a win for Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and a setback for the BJP and JD-S.
The Congress gained 11 additional votes, with support reportedly coming from three BJP MLAs and six JD-S MLAs who cross-voted in favor of the Congress candidates. Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala expressed satisfaction, stating that the victory not only benefits the Congress candidates but also the people of Karnataka, marking a significant milestone in the state’s political history.
Surjewala highlighted the success of key Congress leaders in the elections, including state Congress unit President B.K. Hariprasad, senior leaders B.S. Shivanna and Tippannappa Kamakanur, AICC Secretary P.V. Mohan, and Congress treasurer Vinay Karthik. The Congress, which initially had the support of 138 legislators, ultimately received backing from 151 legislators, surpassing expectations.
According to Surjewala, the BJP, with the support of 64 legislators, managed to secure only 56 first-preference votes, while the JD-S, with 18 members, received only 14 votes. The Congress leader expressed gratitude to the people of Karnataka, Congress workers, MLAs, and others who supported the Congress candidates during the elections.
Senior BJP leader R. Ashoka congratulated BJP candidates Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya for their victories in the Council elections. He acknowledged that three BJP votes crossed over and stated that the party would identify those who voted for the opposition and take appropriate action. The winning candidates included Hariprasad, Kamakanur, Mohan, Shivanna, and Karthik from the Congress, with Karthik securing the highest number of votes among them.
