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

"Thank all legislators, especially those from other parties, for trusting and voting for Congress," said Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar on MLC poll results.

"Congress has got the support of 151 legislators; it is a seal of approval for our party's stellar work," said AICC leader Randeep Surjewala on the Karnataka MLC poll results.

JDS candidate Govindraju 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.

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.

The Congress emerged as the dominant force in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, with BK Hariprasad, Thippannappa Kamkanur, PV Mohan, Shivanna BS (Malavalli), and Vinay Karthik Prakash securing victory. From the BJP, Lingaraj Patil and Raghu R were elected to the Legislative Council. Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Govindaraju was defeated in the contest.

(Report: T Raghvan) 

The vote counting is underway for seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Thursday informed that polling for the Biennial Elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council-2026 recorded 100 per cent turnout, with all 222 electors casting their votes.

The counting of votes has begun for the elections to seven seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council. A total of eight candidates are in the fray, making the contest competitive for the seven vacancies.

The ruling Congress under CM DK Shivakumar is determined to win five out of the seven seats with the help of independents and unattached MLAs' who were expelled from the BJP. While the JD(S), with the help of its alliance partner BJP, is hoping to win one seat, and has requested other MLAs, including those from Congress, to cast a "vote of conscience" in its favour. Two of the three unattached members expelled from the BJP -- S T Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar -- said that they have voted according to their conscience.

With 136 MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress holds a significant numerical advantage over the BJP and the JD(S). As Legislative Council members are elected by MLAs through the system of proportional representation, the ruling party's strength in the Assembly is expected to play a crucial role in determining the election outcome.

The polls were necessitated as the terms of seven MLCs' -- Congress leaders Naseer Ahmed, Tippannappa, and B K Hariprasad, BJP leaders N Nagaraju (MTB), Prathap Simha Nayak K, and Sunil Vallyapur; and Govindaraju of JD(S) are set to expire upon their retirement on June 30.

Each candidate requires a minimum of 28 votes to win. The Congress and BJP are expected to comfortably win four and two seats respectively, based on their strength in the Assembly, officials said. However, a contest exists for the seventh seat, as both Congress and JD(S) fielded candidates despite lacking the strength to win it independently. Both Congress and JD(S) had sequestered their legislators at separate resorts on the city outskirts, amid fear of possible cross-voting.

A total of eight candidates are contesting for seven seats. The Congress has fielded BK Hariprasad, Tippannappa Kamaknoor, PV Mohan and Shivanna Malavalli, while the BJP has nominated Raghu Kautilya and Lingaraj Patil. The key contest for the seventh seat is expected to be between Congress candidate Vinay Karthik and JD(S) candidate Govindaraju.

The counting of votes is scheduled to begin at 5 pm, while the entire election process is scheduled to conclude on June 20. The election was held to fill seven seats that are set to fall vacant following the retirement of sitting MLCs on June 30. 

Voting for the seven vacant seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council concluded on Thursday, with polling taking place from 9 am to 4 pm at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.