Ahmedabad Times

Cross voting by at the very least 11 legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Celebration and Janata Dal (Secular) helped the Congress seize an surprising fifth seat in Karnataka’s legislative council elections on Thursday, giving the ruling occasion a majority within the 75-member Higher Home and marking a hit in chief minister DK Shivakumar’s first political take a look at.

The Congress gained 5 of the seven seats on supply, and the BJP secured the remaining two. JD(S) candidate Govindraju, whose occasion had relied on the BJP help for the ultimate seat, was defeated.

Primarily based on the accessible figures, at the very least six BJP lawmakers and between 4 and eight JD(S) lawmakers seem to have voted in opposition to their events, though the exact distribution could turn into clearer as soon as the events full their inner evaluation of the ballots. One BJP legislator’s poll was declared invalid.

The Congress, which had 134 members within the 224-member Home, had the power to elect 4 candidates by itself however required help of at the very least six further lawmakers to safe the fifth seat.

The Congress additionally acquired backing from unbiased lawmakers Latha Mallikarjun, KH Puttaswamy Gowda and Darshan Puttannaiah. Expelled BJP legislators ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar additionally supported Congress candidates.

Congress normal secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala mentioned the outcome mirrored help amongst legislators for the occasion’s administration.

“Within the first spherical of the Legislative Council elections, all 5 Congress candidates gained with a landslide victory. Congress had 135 votes, nevertheless it gained 151,” he mentioned.

Congress candidates BK Hariprasad, PV Mohan, BS Shivanna, Tippannappa Kamakanoor and Vinay Karthik Prakash have been elected. Based on the occasion, Hariprasad secured 30 votes, Mohan 29, Shivanna 30, Kamakanoor 30 and Vinay Karthik 32, giving the occasion a mixed whole of 151 votes, indicating it acquired one other 11 votes from legislators outdoors its personal ranks, largely by means of cross voting by BJP and JD(S) MLAs.

The BJP’s Raghu Kautilya gained with 29 votes.

Lingaraj Patil secured 27 votes and entered the council after the elimination spherical, regardless of falling wanting the successful quota of 27.63 votes. One vote forged for Raghu Kautilya was invalid. Govindraju acquired 14 votes.

In accordance leaders conscious of the matter, the BJP successfully had 64 votes after accounting for help from expelled chief Basanagouda Patil Yatnal. Thirty votes every have been earmarked for Kautilya and Patil, leaving 4 surplus votes that have been anticipated to be transferred to JD(S) candidate Govindraju. “Kautilya secured 29 legitimate votes, whereas one poll forged in his favour was declared invalid, leaving his allocation successfully intact,” mentioned a senior chief.

Patil, who was anticipated to obtain 30 votes, secured solely 27, indicating that at the very least three BJP legislators voted elsewhere. BJP leaders acknowledged three situations of cross voting, although the ultimate tally may very well be greater relying on how the excess votes have been transferred.

The JD(S), with 18 MLAs, anticipated Govindraju to safe at the very least 18 first choice votes earlier than receiving BJP transfers. As an alternative, he polled solely 14 votes, indicating that at the very least 4 JD(S) legislators voted in opposition to the occasion line. If all 4 BJP surplus votes have been transferred to Govindraju as deliberate, the variety of JD(S) cross votes may very well be as excessive as eight.

The end result elevated the Congress’s power within the legislative council from 34 to 39 members, giving it management of the 75-member Home for the primary time. The BJP now has 29 members, the JD(S) six and there may be one unbiased member.

Polling passed off on the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru between 9 am and 4 pm. All 222 eligible MLAs forged their ballots, producing a 100 % turnout. Counting started at 5 pm.

The competition was carefully watched as the primary electoral take a look at for Shivakumar after he assumed workplace.

“Right this moment, a really huge mandate has been given. Many from totally different political events, chopping throughout occasion strains, have voted in favour of the federal government. They’ve agreed on the insurance policies. I thank all of the legislators who’ve helped us, who’ve voted for us. We stood unitedly, and these are the outcomes of the unity of the Congress occasion within the nation,” the CM mentioned.

Chief of the Opposition R Ashoka acknowledged that BJP legislators had crossed the occasion line.

“Our candidates have gained and we congratulate them. We’ve three cross votes. We’ll know who’ve executed it, and the occasion will take acceptable motion,” he mentioned.

Among the many victorious Congress candidates, Tippannappa Kamakanoor mentioned, “ I’ll work very properly with the occasion. I work for poor individuals. I’ll attempt to deliver the Congress Celebration to energy within the state in 2028.”

Shivanna Malavalli thanked the occasion management and MLAs for his or her help. “I’m a scholar oriented thinker. I’m at all times occupied with the scholars of the state. I’ll proceed to work for his or her welfare and growth.”