Karnataka MLC Polls | Hyderabad, Oct. 28: The BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) have intensified their criticism of the Congress after the NDA won all four Karnataka Legislative Council seats in the teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies.
The results, declared on October 27, gave the BJP three seats and its ally JD(S) one. The elections were held on October 23, delivering a setback to the ruling Congress, which failed to win any of the four seats.
Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy described the outcome as a warning to the Congress leadership. They also projected the victory as a sign of the NDA’s electoral prospects ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
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The BJP called the sweep a setback for the Congress high command and questioned Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s reputation as an election strategist.
Karnataka MLC Polls | NDA Wins All Four MLC Seats
The JD(S) candidate, A.P. Ranganath, defeated Congress veteran Puttanna in the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency by 908 votes. Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna’s 9,902.
In the North-East Teachers’ constituency, BJP candidate Shashil G. Namoshi defeated Congress nominee Sharanappa Mattur by 3,297 votes. Namoshi received 15,596 votes, while Mattur secured 12,299.
The BJP also won both graduates’ constituencies. S.V. Sankanur retained the West Graduates’ seat, while K.M. Suresh won the South-East Graduates’ constituency.
Vijayendra pointed out that the elections were conducted using ballot papers. He argued that the result challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of electoral irregularities and urged the party to respect the voters’ verdict.
Kumaraswamy also described the outcome as a message ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. Both leaders credited coordination between BJP and JD(S) workers for the alliance’s performance.
The Congress accepted the verdict and said it would review the reasons for its defeat. Shivakumar said the party had expected to win two seats and acknowledged that the loss in Bengaluru Teachers’ was unexpected.
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Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president B.K. Hariprasad also acknowledged the challenge posed by the BJP-JD(S) alliance. He said the Congress needed to consider its strategy if the two opposition parties continued working together.
The results do not change the Congress government’s position in the Karnataka Legislative Council by themselves. However, the NDA’s sweep gives the opposition fresh ground to criticise the ruling party and highlight its coordination ahead of future elections.
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