BENGALURU: With the Karnataka Legislative Council biennial elections scheduled for June 18, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will hold a crucial meeting at Wonderla Resort on June 16 to finalise its voting strategy and ensure complete coordination among its legislators.
The meeting gains importance as it will be the first major CLP gathering under Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s leadership. The extended session is expected to focus on detailed vote management, allocation of first preferences and preventing any cross-voting in the election for seven Council seats elected by MLAs.
Under the single transferable vote system, each candidate requires around 28-29 first-preference votes, depending on the final number of valid votes. With 134 MLAs, the Congress has the numbers to comfortably win four seats and is expected to have surplus votes that could influence the contest for the additional seat. However, the party’s arithmetic is also being closely watched due to a few uncertainties. Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni is currently in prison, while Minister D Sudhakar’s death has reduced the party’s effective strength.
Independent MLAs, including Latha Mallikarjun and Darshan Puttannaiah, are expected to support Congress, while the stand of former BJP minister G Janardhana Reddy remains a key question.
The Congress leadership is expected to review the position of every MLA and assess possible voting patterns. Special attention will be given to legislators who have taken independent positions in the past, including former minister KN Rajanna, who was dropped from the state cabinet, and others whose choices could influence the final result.
The BJP, with 63 MLAs, is expected to secure two seats. The fight for the remaining seat is likely to be between the Congress’ additional candidate and a JDS-backed nominee.
The role of expelled BJP leaders has added another layer of uncertainty. Former ministers ST Somashekar and A Shivaram Hebbar, now independent legislators, have earlier gone against the BJP line in key elections. Their voting decisions, along with that of expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, will be closely watched. Even a small number of cross-votes or abstentions could prove decisive in a close contest.
The JDS, with 18 MLAs, faces a difficult situation as it lacks the numbers to win a seat independently. The party is expected to coordinate with the BJP, but questions remain over whether all its legislators will strictly follow the alliance strategy.
For Chief Minister Shivakumar and KPCC President BK Hariprasad, the CLP meeting will be a test of organisational control and their ability to keep the ruling party’s legislators united.
A strong showing in the MLC polls would improve Congress’ position in the Council, where it currently does not have a clear majority.
For the BJP-JDS alliance, preventing Congress from winning the additional seat would be seen as a political gain and a message that opposition coordination can still challenge the ruling party.
JDS LP meeting
The JDS Legislature Party meeting was held on Friday evening. The two-hour meeting discussed ways to keep the party’s 18 MLAs united ahead of the June 18 MLC polls. The party also discussed ways to win one MLC seat hoping that the Congress MLAs would cross-vote.
NO ROLE IN DR G MISSING OUT ON CM’S CHAIR, SAYS HDK
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said that he has nothing to do with Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara not becoming the CM in the past. Dr Parameshwara was the Deputy CM in the Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JDS alliance regime in 2018. “Parameshwara says he missed out on the Chief Minister’s post three times.
What can be done? Who is responsible for him missing out? The Congress party. He should discuss this with the people in Congress... It didn’t slip away when I was there... They put the blame on me, sent me home, and tried to finish off my party,” Kumaraswamy told reporters. On CM DK Shivakumar participating in the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumaraswamy, who also attended it, revealed that the former has only highlighted that the people of the state are living prosperously because of the implementation of the five guarantee schemes, especially Gruha Laskmi.
The CMs of other states had spoken about the GSDP and the development works taken up on priority, he said.
