Karnataka council polls: Shivakumar rules out cross-voting, backs MLAs' judgment
Synopsis
Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar walked out of Vidhana Soudha on polling day and publicly dared anyone to prove cross-voting would happen — then took a sharp dig at Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, suggesting 'there is medicine for jealousy.' The council election is as much a test of Shivakumar's floor management as it is of Congress's legislative arithmetic.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar dismissed cross-voting fears in the Legislative Council elections on 18 June .
He cast his vote at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru and said results should be awaited by 6 p.m.
Shivakumar spent two days briefing legislators on the complex preferential voting system , citing risk of invalid ballots among 60–70 first-time MLAs .
He sharply rebuked Union Minister H.D.
Kumaraswamy , saying 'there is medicine for jealousy.' Deputy CM G.
Parameshwara had not yet voted at the time of Shivakumar's remarks but was expected shortly.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday, 18 June firmly dismissed speculation about cross-voting in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, expressing full confidence in the judgment of Congress legislators and stating that the party had not deployed any special vote-management strategy. He made the remarks after casting his own vote at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar on the Secret Ballot
Speaking to reporters outside the polling venue, Shivakumar said the secret ballot system itself made cross-voting speculation premature. 'We do not want to indulge in cross-voting, nor do we know anything about it. This is a secret ballot election. Let us wait until 6 p.m. and see the outcome. Who is worried about it?' he said. He maintained that all MLAs were intelligent representatives of the people who would vote according to their own priorities and judgment.
Why the Chief Minister Spent Two Days with Legislators
Shivakumar clarified that his two-day interaction with legislators ahead of the vote was procedural, not political. He explained that the preferential voting system is complex, and with nearly 60 to 70 first-time MLAs in the current assembly, the risk of procedural errors was real. 'Even a small mistake can render a ballot invalid,' he said, drawing a comparison with graduates' and teachers' constituency elections where thousands of votes are routinely declared invalid due to technical errors.
Sharp Response to Kumaraswamy
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had earlier criticised Shivakumar, warning him against resorting to 'low-level tactics' in the council polls. Shivakumar was dismissive. 'I do not wish to react to such rubbish and unnecessary statements. He is a senior leader and should conduct himself in a manner befitting his position. That would be better for him,' he said. He added pointedly: 'There is medicine for jealousy. That is all I want to say.' Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara had not yet voted at the time Shivakumar spoke but was expected to arrive shortly.
The Broader Context
The Karnataka Legislative Council elections are being closely watched as a test of floor management for the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) government, which came to power in the state in May 2023. Legislative Council polls, conducted through a preferential voting mechanism among elected MLAs, have historically seen instances of cross-voting that upset party calculations. Shivakumar's public confidence signals that the Congress leadership believes its numbers are secure — though, as he himself noted, the secret ballot means the outcome remains uncertain until counting.
What Comes Next
Results were expected by 6 p.m. on the day of polling. The outcome will be read as a gauge of Congress's internal cohesion and Shivakumar's hold over the legislative party ahead of a politically busy calendar in Karnataka.
Point of View
His confident dismissal today will become the headline. His framing of the two-day legislator outreach as 'procedural' rather than political is also hard to take at face value; floor management in preferential-vote council elections is precisely where chief ministers earn or lose their reputation as party bosses. The Kumaraswamy exchange is the real subtext: with the Janata Dal (Secular)–Bharatiya Janata Party alliance under strain at the national level, both men have reasons to watch each other closely in Karnataka's legislative corridors.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Karnataka Legislative Council elections?
The Karnataka Legislative Council elections are polls conducted among elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to fill seats in the upper house of the state legislature. They use a preferential voting system and are conducted by secret ballot, making cross-voting difficult to track.
Why is cross-voting a concern in these elections?
Cross-voting — where legislators vote against their party's official candidate — has historically disrupted party calculations in Legislative Council polls across India. Because the ballot is secret, parties cannot directly monitor how individual MLAs vote, creating an opening for dissent or inducement.
Why did Shivakumar spend two days meeting legislators before the vote?
Shivakumar said the meetings were to explain the preferential voting procedure, not for political management. He noted that nearly 60 to 70 MLAs in the current assembly are first-timers, and a procedural error can invalidate a ballot entirely.
What did Shivakumar say about H.D. Kumaraswamy's criticism?
Shivakumar dismissed Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's warning against 'low-level tactics' as 'rubbish and unnecessary statements,' adding that 'there is medicine for jealousy.' He said Kumaraswamy, as a senior leader, should conduct himself more befittingly.
When were the Karnataka council election results expected?
Results were expected by 6 p.m. on 18 June, the day of polling, according to Shivakumar's own remarks to reporters at Vidhana Soudha.
