Karnataka Council polls: Counting underway, cross-voting clouds 7th seat
Synopsis
All 222 Karnataka MLAs voted — a perfect turnout — but two expelled BJP legislators and a JD(S) MLA have signalled they voted against their party lines, throwing the seventh and final Legislative Council seat into genuine uncertainty. The result will test whether the BJP–JD(S) alliance's vote-transfer arithmetic can hold against Congress's resort-managed discipline.
Key Takeaways
Counting is underway for seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats after polling on 18 June .
All 222 eligible MLAs voted, recording a 100% turnout , per Returning Officer M.K.
The seventh seat is a straight contest between Congress candidate Vinay Karthik and NDA nominee K.
Expelled BJP MLAs S.T.
Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar confirmed they voted for Congress candidates.
Deve Gowda said he voted 'according to his conscience,' raising cross-voting speculation.
Congress housed its MLAs at a resort in Bidadi and conducted mock voting drills ahead of polling.
Counting of votes is underway for seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats after polling concluded on Thursday, 18 June, with the outcome of the final seat hanging in the balance amid widespread speculation of cross-voting. Both the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)–Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) alliance have treated the election as a prestige contest, with the seventh seat emerging as the decisive battleground.
Key Developments
All 222 eligible MLAs cast their votes, delivering a 100% voter turnout, according to Karnataka Legislature Secretary and Returning Officer M.K. Vishalakshi. Senior JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda cast the first vote of the day, while Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy cast the last. Counting commenced at 5 pm.
Eight candidates are contesting for the seven vacancies. Four Congress candidates and two BJP candidates are widely expected to win comfortably, while the contest for the seventh seat is being closely watched — pitting Congress candidate Vinay Karthik against NDA nominee K. Govindaraju.
Cross-Voting Signals and Party Manoeuvres
Cross-voting concerns have loomed large over the election. Expelled BJP MLAs S.T. Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar confirmed they voted for Congress candidates, alleging that BJP leaders had not reached out to seek their support — a significant admission that could tilt the seventh seat.
Adding to the suspense, JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda stated he voted 'according to his conscience,' fuelling speculation that his preference may have deviated from the NDA line. The BJP has maintained that surplus votes from its two candidates were strategically transferred to the JD(S) candidate to strengthen the alliance's bid for the seventh seat.
How Parties Managed Their Legislators
Both camps took extensive precautions ahead of polling. The Congress housed its MLAs at a resort in Bidadi and conducted training sessions and mock voting exercises to ensure familiarity with the preferential voting system — a standard anti-defection measure in Council elections where vote secrecy makes enforcement difficult.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar dismissed cross-voting concerns, asserting that no special strategy was required and expressing confidence in his legislators' judgment. The Congress has publicly stated it expects all five of its candidates to win.
What the Result Will Signal
The outcome of the seventh seat will serve as an early indicator of floor discipline within both blocs ahead of future electoral contests in Karnataka. Notably, Council elections — decided by MLAs through a preferential system — have historically been fertile ground for cross-voting, making the final tally as much a test of party loyalty as of arithmetic. With counting ongoing, both alliances are watching the numbers closely.
Point of View
Combined with a senior JD(S) MLA invoking 'conscience,' suggests the NDA's vote-transfer strategy may have leaked at the edges. Chief Minister Shivakumar's studied calm is itself a political signal: Congress has the arithmetic and knows it. If Vinay Karthik wins, it will be read as a verdict on the alliance's ability to hold its flock — a warning sign well ahead of any future state-level contest.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karnataka Legislative Council election about?
It is an election to fill seven vacant seats in the Karnataka Legislative Council, held on 18 June 2025. Eight candidates contested, with MLAs casting votes through a preferential voting system.
Why is the seventh seat so significant?
Six of the seven seats are expected to be won comfortably by four Congress and two BJP candidates based on MLA strength. The seventh seat — contested between Congress's Vinay Karthik and NDA nominee K. Govindaraju — is too close to call and hinges on cross-voting by MLAs from rival camps.
What is cross-voting and why does it matter here?
Cross-voting occurs when an MLA votes against their party's directive in a secret ballot. In this election, expelled BJP MLAs S.T. Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar confirmed voting for Congress, while JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda said he voted 'according to his conscience,' indicating possible deviation from the NDA line.
How did the Congress try to prevent cross-voting?
The Congress housed its MLAs at a resort in Bidadi and conducted training sessions and mock voting drills to ensure legislators understood the preferential voting system and remained aligned with the party's candidate preferences.
What does the result mean for Karnataka politics?
The outcome of the seventh seat will be read as a test of floor discipline for both the Congress government and the BJP–JD(S) alliance. A Congress win could signal a consolidation of its legislative majority, while an NDA win would validate the alliance's vote-transfer strategy ahead of future contests.
