Karnataka MLC Polls: BJP-JD(S) Alliance Wins Bengaluru Seat

The Janata Dal (Secular) wrested the Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency from the ruling Congress in Karnataka on Tuesday, according to official sources cited by ThePrint.

Bengaluru Contest Defeats Sitting Congress MLC

JD(S) candidate A.P. Ranganath, backed by the BJP under their opposition alliance, defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by a margin of 908 votes. Official figures show Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna’s 9,902. The contest carried heavy symbolic weight because Puttanna had previously crossed over from the JD(S) to the Congress ahead of preceding Assembly elections. Both candidates belong to the Vokkaliga community, intensifying the local rivalry.

The election served as a crucial test of coordination between the BJP and JD(S) alliance partners, as well as an assessment of the Congress party’s support base among educators and university graduates. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president B.K. Hariprasad had campaigned actively across the constituencies.

BJP Leads Across Remaining Three Seats

While the JD(S) captured the Bengaluru seat, the Bharatiya Janata Party maintained strong leads in the remaining three Legislative Council constituencies that went to polls on October 23. In the North-East Teachers’ Constituency, five-time MLC Shashil G. Namoshi of the BJP led against Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur. Sankanur was leading in the West Graduates’ Constituency against Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai, while BJP nominee K.M. Suresh was running in the South-East Graduates’ Constituency. Suresh led Shashi Hulikunte Mutt in the South-East Graduates’ Constituency.

Polling day on October 23 had witnessed localized tension, including a clash between Congress and BJP workers in front of the Municipal College in Gadag during the West Graduates’ Constituency voting, as reported by ANI. Workers engaged in slogan-raising after BJP cadres alleged that Congress supporters had breached Election Commission guidelines by entering restricted zones near the polling booths.

Opposition Gains Provide BJP and JD(S) Political Ammunition

The 75-member Karnataka Legislative Council currently comprises 38 members from the Congress, 24 from the BJP, six from the JD(S), one Independent, and Chairman Saleem Ahmed, leaving five government-nomination seats vacant. While the election outcomes do not directly threaten the survival of the Congress government that took power in 2023, opposition gains supply the BJP and JD(S) alliance with fresh political ammunition.

Official confirmation of the final tallies for the remaining three constituencies is expected later as election authorities finalize the vote count.