States » SouthPosted at: Oct 28 2026 11:25AM


BJP-JD(S) sweep all four Karnataka MLC seats, Congress draws a blank

Bengaluru, Oct 28 (UNI) The BJP-JD(S) alliance has won all four Karnataka Legislative Council seats contested by teachers and graduates, with the JD(S) wresting the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency from the ruling Congress and the BJP retaining the other three seats, in a setback to the Congress government.
The results, declared after counting that began on Tuesday, saw the opposition alliance win the Bengaluru Teachers’, North-East Teachers’, West Graduates’ and South-East Graduates’ constituencies. A total of 43 candidates were in the fray across the four seats, which went to polls on October 23.
The outcome highlights the electoral gains made by the BJP and JD(S) through their alliance arrangement, under which the BJP contested three constituencies and the JD(S) fielded its candidate in Bengaluru Teachers’. The Congress, which had campaigned to retain its lone seat and make gains in the other constituencies, failed to win any of the four.
The most closely watched contest was in Bengaluru Teachers’, where JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes. Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna’s 9,902, reversing the outcome of the 2024 by-election, when Puttanna, then contesting on a Congress ticket, had defeated Ranganath, who was the JD(S) candidate.
The result was significant for the JD(S), as Puttanna had switched from the regional party to the Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. Both candidates belong to the Vokkaliga community, making the contest a test of the alliance’s ability to consolidate support behind a common candidate.
In the North-East Teachers’ constituency, sitting BJP MLC Shashil G Namoshi retained the seat by defeating Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur by 3,297 votes. Namoshi secured 15,596 votes against Mattur’s 12,299, registering his fifth victory from the constituency.
The BJP also retained the West Graduates’ constituency through S V Sankanur, who defeated Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai by 9,323 votes. Sankanur polled 33,711 votes against Limbikai’s 24,388.
In the South-East Graduates’ constituency, BJP candidate K M Suresh defeated Congress nominee Shashi Hulikunte Mutt by a margin of 23,098 votes.
The results triggered a political exchange over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ballot papers. JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, pointing out that the Bengaluru Teachers’ election was conducted through ballot papers under a Congress government in Karnataka.
In a social media post, Nikhil questioned what explanation the Congress would offer for its defeat when teachers had voted through paper ballots. He also congratulated Ranganath and the BJP and JD(S) leaders and workers for their efforts.
JD(S) leader and union Minister H D Kumaraswamy also described the alliance’s victory as significant and sought to link the results to the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. His remarks reflected the opposition parties’ attempt to project the outcome as a sign of their electoral coordination and political momentum.
The Congress campaign had been led by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president B K Hariprasad, ministers and other senior party leaders. The four contests were viewed as a test of the Congress’s support among teachers and graduates, as well as the ability of the BJP and JD(S) to transfer votes to each other’s candidates.
Despite the setback, the results are not expected to affect the stability of the state government or fundamentally alter the balance of power in the 75-member Legislative Council. Before the elections, the Congress had 38 members, the BJP 24 and the JD(S) six, besides an Independent and the Chairman, with five nominated seats vacant. The results strengthen the opposition parties’ representation but do not change the Congress government’s position in the Assembly.
The alliance’s sweep gives the BJP and JD(S) an opportunity to highlight their coordination, while the Congress faces questions over its performance in constituencies representing organised groups of teachers and graduates. The extent to which the outcome reflects broader political trends, however, will need to be assessed against future electoral contests.
UNI BDN
Tags: #BJP-JD(S) sweep all four Karnataka MLC seats# Congress draws a blank
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