The results were announced amid vote counting for the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh MLC elections. The BJP and JDS had contested the Karnataka elections together, defeating Congress candidates in all four constituencies.
The BJP won the North East Teachers, South East Graduates and West Graduates constituencies, while the JDS secured the Bengaluru Teachers constituency. The outcome is particularly significant for Congress, which is in power in Karnataka and had previously formed a coalition government with the JDS during former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's tenure.
Congress Loses on Ballot Papers
In the Bengaluru Teachers constituency, JDS leader AP Ranganath defeated Congress MLC Puttanna in an election conducted through ballot papers.
Ranganath secured 10,810 votes, while Puttanna received 9,902 votes.
The victory has become a focal point of political criticism against Congress, which has repeatedly demanded elections through ballot papers and raised questions about the use of EVMs.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy Targets Congress
Following the results, JDS leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referring to the party's repeated allegations regarding EVMs.
In a post, he wrote, "Rahul Gandhi sir, you will not be able to blame EVMs this time. The state machinery is in your hands and the elections were held using paper ballots."
He further said, "Even after this, NDA's Shri AP Ranganath has won the MLC election in the Bengaluru Teachers constituency. Now that educated teachers have voted on paper under your government's nose, what excuse will you give today? Paper theft? Congratulations to AP Ranganath and the BJP and JDS leaders and workers."
The comments have brought the ballot paper issue back into the political spotlight, with the Karnataka results providing fresh ammunition for the opposition to target Congress.
The Bengaluru Teachers constituency recorded a voter turnout of 81.98 per cent. Of the total 27,405 voters, 22,468 cast their votes. A total of 21,056 votes were declared valid, while 1,857 votes were declared invalid.
BJP Wins North East Teachers Constituency
In the North East Teachers constituency, BJP's sitting Legislative Council member Shashil G Namshi secured victory over Congress leader Sharanappa Mattur.
Namshi received 15,596 votes and won by a margin of 3,297 votes. Congress candidate Mattur secured 12,299 votes.
The result marked another setback for Congress in a constituency where the BJP retained its position.
BJP Candidate Wins South East Graduates Seat
The BJP also secured the South East Graduates constituency, where its candidate KM Suresh defeated Congress nominee Shashi Hulikuntemath.
Suresh registered a victory by a margin of more than 23,000 votes, making it a significant win for the BJP in the constituency.
Congress Candidate Defeated in West Graduates Constituency
In the West Graduates constituency, Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai lost to BJP MLC SV Sankanur by 9,323 votes.
Sankanur had maintained a lead throughout the counting process before securing the victory.
With the BJP winning three constituencies and the JDS taking the Bengaluru Teachers seat, Congress failed to secure a single seat in the Karnataka MLC elections.
Results Come Amid Political Tensions in Karnataka
The election results have come at a time when Congress is facing political challenges in Karnataka, where it is the ruling party.
The state has recently witnessed prolonged speculation and reported tensions over a possible change in the Chief Minister's position. DK Shivakumar has recently taken over the responsibility of Chief Minister, according to the source.
The results have also coincided with Congress's opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and its criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The party has consistently called for elections to be conducted through ballot papers, while raising questions about EVMs.
The Karnataka MLC election results, however, have put Congress in a difficult position, as the party has lost all four seats in an election conducted through ballot papers, giving the BJP and JDS an opportunity to question its position on the electoral process.
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