The Congress registered a commanding performance in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections on Thursday, securing five of the seven seats on offer and reinforcing its dominance in the state legislature. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win two seats, the result was overshadowed by allegations of cross-voting that have exposed growing unease within the party's ranks.
Congress candidates Vinay Karthik, Tippannappa Kamakanur, BS Shivanna, BK Hariprasad and PV Mohan emerged victorious in the closely watched contest. Among them, Karthik secured the highest number of votes with 32. Kamakanur, Shivanna and Hariprasad each polled 30 votes, while Mohan won with 29 votes, as per reports.
The BJP's Raghu Kautilya and Lingaraj Patil also secured seats in the Legislative Council. Kautilya received 29 votes, while Patil managed 27 and was elected after second-preference votes were taken into account.
Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Govind Raju failed to secure enough support, finishing with just 14 votes.
The spotlight quickly shifted from the results themselves to the unexpected voting patterns that emerged during the counting process.
Leader of Opposition R. Ashok publicly acknowledged that members of his party had voted against official instructions. “We will definitely find out who cross-voted and betrayed the party. It will come out. The party will take suitable action against them,” he told reporters, as per ANI.
Ashok also disclosed that one BJP vote had been declared invalid, further affecting the party's overall tally.
Although BJP leaders maintained that votes earmarked for JD(S) candidate Govind Raju were transferred as planned, conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the actual voting pattern.
The BJP had reportedly allocated four votes to support the JD(S) nominee, including one from expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal. However, sources within the JD(S) have disputed those claims, raising questions about whether more BJP legislators crossed party lines than officially admitted.
If those suspicions are confirmed, the number of legislators who defied the party whip could be significantly higher than the three acknowledged by BJP leaders.
Senior BJP leaders privately conceded that the episode reflects broader challenges confronting the party in Karnataka.
One leader described the outcome as “a clear reflection of the sorry state of affairs in the party, disgruntlement, factionalism, lack of control over MLAs and opposition to the alliance with the JD(S).”
With Assembly elections scheduled in roughly two years, many party insiders believe the Karnataka unit could undergo significant restructuring.
For Congress, the result serves as another indicator of its continued strength following its Assembly election victory and subsequent consolidation of power in the state. This is also the first election Congress faced after DK Shivakumar took over the CM of Karnataka.
Political observers believe the developments could also attract attention from the BJP's national leadership, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
