BJP, Cong win 2 seats each in Karnataka MLC elections

PTI, Jun 16, 2022, 6:07 PM IST

The ruling BJP continues to have a majority in the Karnataka Legislative Council, as the party managed to win one teachers’ and graduates’ constituency each in the recently held biennial elections, while the Congress too managed to win one each.

The results are seen as a setback for the JD(S) as the party lost both the seats it represented last time and did not win any fresh seat; while for Congress it is a two seats gain, as none of the four seats that went to polls were held by the party before going for polls.

Though the ruling BJP has managed to win two of the four seats that went for poll and maintain its majority in the upper house of the state legislature, the party faced a setback with the defeat of its MLC Arun Shahapur, who was seeking re-election from one of the teachers’ constituencies.

While the results for both the teachers’ constituencies were announced on Wednesday night, two graduates’ seats’ poll results were announced on Thursday after the conclusion of the counting process.

North-West Graduates’, South Graduates’, North-West Teachers’, and West Teachers’ constituencies went for polls on Monday, witnessing an overall voter turnout of 71.01 per cent.

The elections to the four seats were necessitated as the term of BJP’s Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa (N-W Graduates’) and JD(S)’ K T Srikante Gowda (S-Graduates’), BJP’s Arun Shahpur (N-W Teachers’) and JD(S)’ Basavaraj Horatti (W-Teachers’) are coming to an end on July 4.

With the outcome of poll results, the 75-member Legislative Council will have 39 BJP members, 27 Congress and eight JD(S), and one independent member.

Of the two seats for which results were declared today, the North-West Graduates’ seat witnessed a direct fight between BJP and Congress, with JD(S) not in the fray.

BJP’s Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa, who was seeking reelection, has won the N-W graduates’ seat by securing 44,815 votes, while his opponent Congress’ Sunil Annappa Sank obtained 10,122 votes.

In the South Graduates’ constituency, Congress’ Madhu G Madegowda won by securing 46,082 votes against former MLC M V Ravishankar of the BJP, who got 33,878. H K Ramu of JD(S) has got 19,630 votes.

On Wednesday, Basavaraj Horatti, who was Chairman of the Legislative Council until recently and had resigned from the post to join the BJP ahead of polls, was declared victorious from West Teachers’ constituency as a candidate of J P Nadda-led outfit. He had secured 9,266 votes.

His nearest rival Basavaraj Gurikar of Congress got 4,597 votes, while Shrishail Gadadinni of JD(S) secured just 273 votes.

Horatti, who recently ended his long association with the JD(S) by joining BJP, created a history of sorts in the country, with this result, by getting elected to the Upper House of the legislature for a record eighth term. He has been an MLC since 1980.

Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, the 76-year old is seen as a prominent Lingayat face from north Karnataka. He had been education minister in the state, and was elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.

In the North-West Teachers’ constituency, Arun Shahpur of BJP, who was seeking re-election was defeated by Congress’ former MLA and MP Prakash Hukkeri. They secured 6,405 and 11,460 votes respectively, while Chandrashekhar Esappa Loni of JD(S) secured 544 votes.