K’taka council polls: Results awaited amid cross‑voting buzz
Bengaluru: All eyes are on the results of the election to seven seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council, with counting underway after polling concluded on Thursday amid concerns over possible cross‑voting.
The election has evolved into a high‑stakes political contest, with both the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- Janata Dal (Secular) [JD (S)] alliance treating the outcome as a matter of prestige.
While the Congress has expressed confidence that all five of its candidates will emerge victorious, the BJP has maintained that its two candidates are certain to win and that surplus votes have been strategically transferred to the JD(S) candidate to bolster the NDA’s chances of securing the seventh seat.
According to Karnataka Legislature Secretary and Returning Officer M.K. Vishalakshi, all 222 eligible MLAs cast their votes, resulting in a 100 pc voter turnout. The first vote of the day was cast by senior JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, while the final vote was cast by Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy. Counting of votes commenced at 5 p.m.
Eight candidates are contesting for seven vacancies. Four Congress candidates and two BJP candidates are widely expected to win comfortably, while the seventh seat has emerged as the most closely watched contest between Congress’s fifth candidate, Vinay Karthik, and NDA nominee K. Govindaraju.
Amid cross‑voting speculation, both camps took extensive measures to keep their legislators together. The Congress housed its MLAs at a resort in Bidadi and conducted training sessions and mock voting exercises to ensure legislators understood the preferential voting system.
Adding to the suspense, JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda said he had voted according to his conscience, fuelling speculation of possible support for the Congress candidate.
Expelled BJP MLAs S.T. Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar also confirmed they had voted for Congress candidates, alleging BJP leaders had not sought their support.
With the final seat expected to be decided by a narrow margin, political parties remain on edge as counting continues.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar dismissed concerns over cross‑voting, asserting that no special strategy was needed and expressing confidence in legislators’ judgment.