BENGALURU: With just hours to go for the Legislative Council elections, Congress and NDA are locked in a high-stakes game of whispers, counter-moves, and secret loyalties. Amid official statements and resort fortifications, back-channel deals are said to be unfolding as the ruling Congress has already begun celebrating the victory of its fifth candidate through carefully cultivated support from within NDA ranks.
Party insiders claimed that over the last few days, Congress operatives have firmed up support from a handful of disgruntled NDA legislators. At least three to four NDA MLAs may cross-vote for the Congress candidate, abstain, or deliberately invalidate their ballots, the sources added.
At resorts where MLAs from the three major parties have holed up, senior leaders are reportedly holding closed-door briefings and mock polls. These parties are planning to ferry the legislators straight to Vidhana Soudha under watchful eyes to thwart any last-minute poaching.
While Congress leaders are quite confident that preference votes or strategic defections will deliver the extra seat, JDS strategists are working feverishly to keep their small but pivotal group intact.
No side has offered official confirmation of any specific arrangements, and as it is a ‘secret ballot’, loyalties can shift till the last moment.
Political observers said the battle for the seventh seat may well reveal deeper fault lines in Karnataka’s straight fight between Congress and JDS-NDA.