Cross voting helps Cong gain control of state’s upper house

In a significant political maneuver, the Congress party has captured a majority in Karnataka's legislative council, securing five of the seven available seats. This unexpected triumph was largely attributed to cross-voting by legislators from rival parties, notably the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)). The outcome represents a key political victory for Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, marking his first major success since assuming leadership.

Official results indicate that Congress candidates emerged victorious in the elections held on Thursday. The BJP managed to secure the remaining two seats, while the JD(S) candidate, who had anticipated support from the BJP for the final seat, was ultimately defeated. Preliminary figures suggest that at least six BJP lawmakers and between four and eight JD(S) lawmakers defied their party lines to vote for Congress candidates.

The Congress party, which held 134 members in the 224-member house, had the inherent strength to elect four candidates. However, securing a fifth seat required the support of at least six additional lawmakers. This support materialized through the unexpected backing from independent legislators and, crucially, from expelled BJP members ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar, alongside the aforementioned cross-voting.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala highlighted the result as a reflection of legislative support for the party's administration. He noted that all five Congress candidates won with a landslide, receiving 151 votes against the party's initial 135, indicating a gain of 11 votes from outside its ranks. Congress candidates BK Hariprasad, PV Mohan, BS Shivanna, Tippannappa Kamakanoor, and Vinay Karthik Prakash were elected, with vote counts ranging from 29 to 32 each. The BJP's Raghu Kautilya secured 29 votes, while Lingaraj Patil entered the council after the elimination round with 27 votes.

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In the first round of the Legislative Council elections, all five Congress candidates won with a landslide victory. Congress had 135 votes, but it won 151.