Karnataka Council polls: Congress wins 5 seats as cross-voting jolts BJP, JD-S
Synopsis
Karnataka's Legislative Council results have delivered more than a routine win for the Congress — they exposed cracks in the BJP-JD-S alliance. With 151 first-preference votes against an effective strength of 138, and reportedly nine opposition MLAs crossing over, CM Shivakumar's government has turned a local election into a statewide confidence vote — and won it decisively.
Key Takeaways
Congress won all five Karnataka Legislative Council seats declared on 18 June .
The party secured 151 first-preference votes against its effective legislative strength of 138 , indicating cross-party support.
Reportedly three BJP MLAs and six JD-S MLAs cross-voted in favour of Congress candidates.
The result is a setback for JD-S leader and Union Minister H.D.
Kumaraswamy , who had publicly challenged CM Shivakumar ahead of the polls.
Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala credited the party's five guarantee schemes and nearly ₹56,000 crore in direct transfers as key factors in attracting cross-party support.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday, 18 June expressed satisfaction over the Congress's performance in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, saying the results reflected growing public confidence in the state government. The Congress swept all five of its contested seats, with its candidates securing 151 first-preference votes — well above the party's effective legislative strength of 138.
Key Developments
The Congress managed to secure 11 additional votes beyond its own strength, with three BJP MLAs and six JD-S MLAs reportedly cross-voting in favour of its five candidates — B.K. Hariprasad, Tippannappa Kamakanur, P.V. Mohan, B.S. Shivanna, and Vinay Karthik. All five were declared victorious. The outcome is widely seen as a significant boost for Chief Minister Shivakumar and a setback for both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular).
Notably, the result is also a personal setback for JD-S leader and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had taken the election as a matter of prestige and publicly challenged Chief Minister Shivakumar ahead of the vote.
What CM Shivakumar Said
Addressing reporters after the declaration of results, Shivakumar said he was surprised by the extent of cross-party support. 'I am surprised by the level of support our government has received from legislators. It sends a clear message that the people are with us and that MLAs have supported us across party lines,' he said.
On the question of cross-voting, Shivakumar maintained he had no information about which legislators may have defected. 'I do not know who cross-voted. It was a secret ballot, and no one can know for certain. I never approached anyone seeking their vote. I do not know what is happening within the BJP and JD-S camps,' he added.
Congress Leadership Reacts
State Congress President B.K. Hariprasad thanked the party leadership and legislators, crediting Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership for their guidance. Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara congratulated the five victorious candidates, expressing confidence that they would strengthen democratic values in the state.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the Congress remains committed to the comprehensive development of Karnataka, social justice, communal harmony, and public welfare.
Surjewala's Post-Result Analysis
Congress General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala described the outcome as a 'path-breaking' endorsement of the Congress government's welfare-oriented policies. In a post on X, Surjewala said the results reflected the unconditional acceptance of the Congress's welfare agenda by legislators across party lines.
Surjewala pointed out that the Congress has 135 legislators in the Karnataka Assembly, with support from three additional legislators — including an SKP member and Independents — taking its effective strength to 138. The party's candidates, however, secured 151 first-preference votes, indicating clear cross-party support. He credited the Congress's five guarantee schemes, through which the state government has reportedly transferred nearly ₹56,000 crore directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts across Karnataka, as a key factor in attracting support from opposition legislators.
He accused the BJP and JD-S of opposing the Congress guarantees and pursuing politics centred on caste divisions and religious polarisation — a charge both parties have not formally responded to as of the time of this report. With the Council results reinforcing the Congress's legislative dominance in Karnataka, attention will now turn to whether the BJP and JD-S can consolidate their ranks ahead of future electoral contests in the state.
Point of View
Whatever their fiscal cost, appear to be generating real political capital at the legislator level, not just among voters. Kumaraswamy's decision to frame this as a prestige contest amplified the optics of defeat. The more consequential question is whether this cross-voting pattern reflects durable dissatisfaction within the opposition ranks or a one-off protest against alliance management — and that answer will shape Karnataka's political trajectory well before the next assembly cycle.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Karnataka Legislative Council election results on 18 June?
The Congress won all five of its contested Karnataka Legislative Council seats on 18 June, with its candidates securing 151 first-preference votes. The victorious candidates were B.K. Hariprasad, Tippannappa Kamakanur, P.V. Mohan, B.S. Shivanna, and Vinay Karthik.
How many MLAs cross-voted in the Karnataka Council elections?
According to reports, three BJP MLAs and six JD-S MLAs reportedly cross-voted in favour of Congress candidates, accounting for 11 additional votes beyond the Congress's own legislative strength of 138. The ballot was secret, and no official confirmation of individual voters has been made.
What did CM D.K. Shivakumar say about the cross-voting?
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said he had no information about which legislators cross-voted, noting it was a secret ballot. He said he never approached any legislator for support and expressed surprise at the scale of cross-party backing his government received.
Why is the result a setback for H.D. Kumaraswamy?
JD-S leader and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had publicly taken the Karnataka Council election as a matter of prestige and challenged CM Shivakumar ahead of the polls. The reported defection of six JD-S MLAs to the Congress side makes the outcome a personal and political embarrassment for him.
What did Congress credit for attracting cross-party support?
Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala credited the party's five guarantee schemes, through which the Karnataka government has reportedly transferred nearly ₹56,000 crore directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts, as the primary reason legislators across party lines endorsed its candidates.
