BENGALURU: The BJP-JD(S) alliance on Tuesday wrested the Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency in the Karnataka Legislative Council election from the Congress, with JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeating five-time winner Puttanna by a margin of 908 votes. The defeat is a setback for the Congress and Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who had campaigned for the party’s candidate.
Ranganath secured 10,810 first-preference votes against Puttanna’s 9,902, as the results were announced by Bengaluru Regional Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas, the returning officer for the election.
The constituency had been represented by Puttanna for five terms, making the outcome a significant setback for the Congress in a closely contested election. The result also drew attention to the BJP-JD(S) alliance’s ability to consolidate support in the teachers’ constituency.
Of the 22,913 votes counted, 21,056 were declared valid and 1,857 were rejected. Independent candidate Umesh Babu Pillegowda secured 215 votes, while Karnataka Rashtra Samithi candidate Dr G R Hebbur polled 94. Independent candidates Dr N Lakshmana Swamy and B S Nagaraju secured 24 and 11 votes, respectively.
Polling in the constituency was held on October 23, with 22,468 of the 27,405 registered voters exercising their franchise, recording a turnout of 81.98%. Women accounted for 14,108 voters and men for 8,360.
The outcome comes amid political tensions within the Congress, with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his associates, including former minister H C Mahadevappa, reportedly staying away from campaigning in the Council elections. Their absence has drawn attention against the backdrop of the political differences between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, though the extent to which it influenced the result remains unclear.
The election to four Legislative Council constituencies—two graduates’ and two teachers’ seats—was seen as a test of the BJP-JD(S) alliance’s ability to transfer votes between the two parties and the Congress’s capacity to mount a coordinated challenge.
The BJP fielded candidates in three constituencies, while its ally JD(S) contested the Bengaluru Teachers’ seat.
In the South-East Graduates’ Constituency, BJP candidate K M Suresha (Someshwara) led with 6,296 first-preference votes against Congress candidate Shashi Hulikuntemutt’s 5,174 in the first round of counting. The round recorded 11,742 valid votes and 2,258 rejected votes, with counting still to determine the final outcome.
In the West Graduates’ Constituency, sitting BJP MLC S V Sankanur was leading against Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai. In the North-East Teachers’ Constituency, BJP candidate Shashil G Namoshi defeated Congress nominee Sharanappa Mattur.
The Bengaluru Teachers’ result gives the BJP-JD(S) alliance a victory in one of the four constituencies, while the outcomes in the remaining seats will determine the broader electoral picture. The results are also likely to figure in discussions within the state’s political parties as they prepare for future electoral contests, including the 2028 Assembly election.
