Voting for Karnataka Legislative Council's 25 seats underway, results to be declared on Dec 14

The election to Karnataka Legislative Council is necessitated as the term of 25 incumbent MLCs -- 14 Congress, seven BJP and four JD(S) -- will end on January 5 next year.

Image courtesy: ANI

Bengaluru: Voting for the biennial election to Karnataka Legislative Council’s 25 seats began on Friday (December 10) at 8 am. In the Legislative Council election, as many as 90 candidates are in the fray from 20 local authorities` constituencies. The results will be declared on December 14.

The election is necessitated as the term of 25 incumbent MLCs -- 14 Congress, seven BJP and four JD(S) -- will end on January 5 next year. 

The voting for the biennial election to the Karnataka Legislative Council will conclude today at 4 pm. Congress MLC R Prasanna Kumar cast his vote at the City corporation booth on Friday. Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son BY Raghavendra, the current MP of Shivamogga cast their votes at the Municipal council booth in Shikaripura town, said and ANI report.

Voting for election to the Karnataka Legislative Council’s 25 seats began at 8 am; visuals from Kalaburagi and Shivamogga

The results of these polls will be declared on December 14. pic.twitter.com/fmohwt5LMf — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2021

In the fray, 20 candidates are from BJP, 20 are from Congress, 6 are from JD(S) while 33 are independents and the rest are from smaller parties, said the report. Among the candidates, there is only one woman from Chickmagalur.

The elections are being held for two seats each from the local authorities constituencies of Bijapur, Belgaum, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru; and one each from Bidar, Gulbarga, Uttara Kannada, Raichur, Bellary, Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Tumakuru, Mandya, Bangalore, Bangalore Rural, Kolar and Kodagu. 

The electorate for this election comprises elected members of urban and rural local bodies, and unlike legislative assembly or Lok Sabha polls, council contests are decided by preferential votes.

The poll outcome will have a bearing on the power equation in the 75-member Upper House, where the ruling BJP wants to gain a majority.

The BJP that has expressed confidence about winning maximum seats, needs to win at least 13 seats to secure a majority. The good performance in this election will be a morale booster for the party after losing the Hangal seat in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's home district of Haveri, during the recent assembly bypolls.

The Congress too is determined to win maximum seats to keep the BJP away from gaining control of the upper house; while JD(S) has expressed confidence about winning all the six seats it is contesting in.

(With Agency Inputs)