Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, declared confidence that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate S.V. Sankanur would win the West Graduates' constituency election to the Karnataka Legislative Council and secure a hat-trick — his third consecutive term. Speaking to reporters in Dharwad, Vijayendra mounted a broad offensive against the ruling Congress government, targeting its record on law and order, electoral roll revision, and state finances.

Vijayendra's Case for Sankanur

Vijayendra argued that Sankanur had demonstrated consistent performance across two terms as a Council member. 'Sankanur has raised the issues of graduates effectively in the Legislative Council and worked for their interests. He is a people-friendly legislator and has earned everyone's confidence. Therefore, he will be elected again,' he said. The BJP chief expressed confidence that the NDA candidate would win by a 'large margin.' He listed a formidable campaign team behind Sankanur, naming former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, and MLAs Mahesh Tenginakai and Aravind Bellad, along with party workers from the districts of Karwar, Dharwad, Gadag, and Haveri.

Attack on Congress Over Law and Order

Vijayendra reserved his sharpest criticism for Home Minister Priyank Kharge, accusing him of allowing Kalaburagi to function as what he called a 'Republic of Kalaburagi' under the Kharge family's influence. 'Priyank Kharge should disclose how many murders have taken place in Kalaburagi since they came to power,' he said. He further alleged that associates of the Kharge family contacted victims' families after killings to allegedly offer money in exchange for silence — claims the Congress government has not yet responded to publicly. 'Priyank Kharge himself should answer who is nurturing such contract killers,' Vijayendra said.

Form-7 Controversy and Electoral Roll Revision

On the ongoing controversy over Form-7 applications — used to seek deletion of voter names — Vijayendra said irregularities, if any, should be addressed through due legal process. He warned, however, that any attempt to use police to intimidate BJP workers would be resisted. 'If the state government misuses the police to threaten our workers, we will not be intimidated,' he said. He also alleged that the Congress government was attempting to shift accountability for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls onto the Election Commission of India (ECI), citing remarks he attributed to Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Vayalar Ravi in the context of a similar exercise in Kerala. 'Police stations have become Congress offices,' he alleged.

Governance and Financial Allegations

Vijayendra widened his attack to include the state's financial management, alleging that the Congress government was pressuring the Excise Department to generate revenue to fund its guarantee schemes. 'Liquor is now available even in grocery shops. Turning Karnataka into a state of drunkards is the government's achievement,' he alleged. He also claimed that approximately 2.5 lakh government posts remain vacant and that job aspirants were actively protesting across the state — a charge likely to resonate ahead of the MLC polling date. The Congress government is yet to respond formally to these specific allegations.

What's Next

The West Graduates' constituency MLC election will be a key test of BJP's organisational strength in north Karnataka, a region where the party has traditionally held ground. With Sankanur's hat-trick bid framed as a referendum on legislative effectiveness versus the Congress government's governance record, both sides are expected to intensify campaigning in the coming days.