Congress dominates Karnataka Legislative Council polls, wins 5 of 7 seats; BJP secures 2

The Congress emerged as the clear winner in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, securing five of the seven seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the remaining two seats after the counting of votes concluded on Thursday. The Congress candidates BK Hariprasad, Thippannappa Kamakanur, PV Mohan, Shivanna BS (Malavalli), and Vinay Karthik Prakash emerged victorious. The BJP's Lingaraj Patil and Raghu R also won their respective contests, while JD(S) candidate Govindaraju suffered defeat.

Following its victory in the Legislative Council elections, the Congress strengthened its position in the 75-member Upper House, increasing its tally to 39 seats. The BJP holds 29 seats, while the JD(S) has six members. The House also includes one Independent member.

Winning candidates of Congress and BJP 

JDS loses seat, cross-voting in favor of Congress

The Janata Dal (Secular) suffered a setback in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, with its candidate Govindaraju losing the contest for the seventh seat as the ruling Congress secured a fifth victory.The 

The JDS candidate received only 14 first preference votes, indicating that four of the 18 JDS MLAs cross-voted in favor of the Congress. It also became clear that the BJP's two surplus votes did not go to the JDS candidate.

The ruling Congress was determined to win five of the seven seats with the help of independents and unattached MLAs who were expelled from the BJP. The JD(S), with the help of alliance partner BJP, was hoping to win one seat, with other MLAs - including those from Congress - casting a "vote of conscience" in its favour.

In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the Congress holds 134 MLAs, while the BJP has 62 and the JD(S) 18. The remaining strength includes one MLA each from the Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and the Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha, two independents, three unattached members, and the Speaker, while two Assembly seats remain vacant.

Under the proportional representation system, each winning candidate required 28 votes. After electing its first four candidates with 28 votes each, the Congress was left with a surplus of 22 votes and required six additional votes to secure its fifth seat.

The JD(S), despite receiving the BJP's surplus votes, still fell short of the required numbers. The BJP-JD(S) alliance needed support from independents, smaller parties, and unattached legislators to push Govindaraju across the finish line, while also guarding against cross-voting and absenteeism. However, the ruling Congress ultimately succeeded in winning the crucial seventh seat, handing the JD(S) a defeat.

Karnataka MLC Election 2026

The Karnataka Legislative Council election recorded a 100 per cent voter turnout, with all 222 eligible electors casting their votes.

A total of eight candidates were in the fray for the seven vacancies, with each candidate requiring 28 votes to secure victory under the proportional representation system.

Polling for the seven vacant Legislative Council seats was held from 9 am to 4 pm at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru today (June 18). The election was conducted to fill seats that will fall vacant following the retirement of seven sitting MLCs on June 30.

The outgoing members include Congress's Govindaraju, Naseer Ahmed, Thippannappa, and BK Hariprasad, as well as BJP's MTB Nagaraju, Prathap Simha Nayak, and Sunil Vallyapur.

Before the election, four of the seven seats were held by the Congress, two by the BJP, and one by the JD(S). The latest results further strengthen the Congress's position in the Upper House of the Karnataka Legislature.

The election was closely watched as it was widely regarded as the first major electoral test under the leadership of Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Also Read: Karnataka MLC Election Results 2026 LIVE: Congress wins 5 seats, BJP bags 2

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