|
Counting of votes for four Karnataka Legislative Council seats began on Tuesday amid heightened security, with the results expected to indicate the ruling Congress's support base among graduates and teachers and test the electoral coordination between the Opposition BJP and JD(S) alliance partners.
A total of 43 candidates are in the fray across the four constituencies -- South-East Graduates', West Graduates', North-East Teachers' and Bengaluru Teachers'. Initial trends are expected to emerge as the counting progresses. The elections are being closely watched as a political test for the Congress government, with both the ruling party and the BJP-JD(S) alliance seeking to demonstrate their organisational strength among graduates and teachers. The results will also indicate how effectively the BJP and JD(S) have managed to transfer votes to each other's candidates under their alliance. Polling for the four seats was held on October 23, from 8 am to 4 pm. According to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, voter turnout stood at 73.58 per cent in the South-East Graduates' constituency, 75.62 per cent in the West Graduates' constituency, 86.97 per cent in the North-East Teachers' constituency and 81.98 per cent in the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency. The BJP currently holds three of the four seats, while Congress holds the Bengaluru Teachers' seat. The BJP has fielded candidates in the South-East Graduates', West Graduates' and North-East Teachers' constituencies, while its ally JD(S) is contesting the Bengaluru Teachers' seat. In the South-East Graduates' constituency, Congress candidate Shashi Hulikunte Mutt is contesting against BJP's K M Suresh. In the West Graduates' constituency, sitting BJP MLC S V Sankanur is seeking a third term against Congress nominee Mohan Limbikai, an advocate and former MLC who previously belonged to the BJP. In the North-East Teachers' constituency, Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur is contesting against sitting BJP MLC Shashil G Namoshi. In Bengaluru Teachers', Congress MLC Puttanna is facing JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath. The Bengaluru contest is particularly significant as Puttanna had switched from the JD(S) to the Congress ahead of the last Assembly elections. Both Puttanna and Ranganath belong to the Vokkaliga community. The constituency also witnessed clashes between Congress and NDA workers during polling. For the BJP-JD(S) alliance, the key challenge is to retain the three seats currently held by the BJP and wrest the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency from the Congress. The results will indicate whether the alliance partners have managed to consolidate their respective support bases and transfer votes effectively. The Congress, meanwhile, is seeking to defend its lone seat while making gains in the other three constituencies. Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B K Hariprasad, ministers and senior party leaders campaigned across the constituencies in support of the party's candidates. The polls are also being viewed as an electoral test of the parties' organisational strength among graduates and teachers ahead of the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the biennial elections on September 23, following the scheduled completion of the terms of the sitting members on November 11. The 75-member Karnataka Legislative Council currently has 38 Congress members, 24 from the BJP and six from the JD(S), along with one Independent and Chairman Saleem Ahmed. Five seats earmarked for government nominations are vacant. The October polls are separate from the seven-seat Legislative Council elections held on June 18, 2026, in which members were elected by MLAs. In those elections, the Congress won five seats and the BJP two, while the JD(S) candidate lost amid allegations of cross-voting. (ANI)
|
