BENGALURU: Four Legislative Council seats go to the polls on October 23, and analysts say the contest will be a real test of BJP-JDS unity and how well the two parties share votes.
In three seats, JDS-leaning voters will be asked to back BJP candidates, and in one, BJP’s base will be asked to back the JDS candidate. Leaders of all parties will be watching whether the transfers happen seamlessly. In South-East Graduates’ constituency, BJP’s KM Suresh faces Congress’s Shashi Hulikuntemutt. In West Graduates’ constituency, BJP’s SV Sankanur is up against Congress’s Mohan Limbikai, and in North-East Teachers’ constituency, BJP’s Shashil Namoshi faces Congress’s Sharanappa Mathur.
In Bangalore Teachers’ constituency, NDA has fielded AP Ranganath of JDS against Puttanna of the Congress. The NDA holds three of these four seats and Congress one, so the pressure is uneven. For the NDA, the task is to defend what it has, and as Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy claims, win all four.
For the Congress, any additional seat is a bonus. The Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituencies have traditionally favoured the BJP, which makes the BJP’s own vote the NDA’s biggest asset. It also means the alliance’s weaker link may be the one seat where BJP must carry its partner’s candidate, and BJP votes must move to the JDS nominee. “I am confident the votes will be transferred in large numbers,” Ranganath told TNIE.
In South-East Graduates’, West Graduates’ and North-East Teachers’, BJP is the lead partner and JDS is asked to deliver votes. These are seats the NDA already holds, so any slip would cost it.
Kumaraswamy said the BJP-JDS combine had made a major contribution to the education sector when in power, and he expects teachers, graduates and young voters to vote against the government because of the KPSC scandals.
Whether that sentiment turns into JDS votes for BJP candidates is what these three seats will show.
Prof. Sandeep Shastri said these constituencies have a distinct political character. “Past experience has shown that the candidate who is more successful in ensuring registration of graduates and teachers tends to have an upper hand,” he said. “The candidates announced thus far have a past record of mobilising registrations effectively.” He said the transfer of votes “would be no indication of what would happen if the alliance continues for the Assembly elections”.
“The BJP-JDS alliance has not produced blanket beneficial results in the past. The upcoming MLC election has its fair share of challenges for the NDA alliance. The social category votes and possible splits in them too would matter. The outcome is anybody’s guess,” said political analyst PS Jayaramu.
BJP-JDS WILL FIGHT POLLS TOGETHER: YEDIYURAPPA
KALABURAGI: Former CM BS Yediyurappa has said the BJP and JDS would jointly contest all elections in the state in the coming days and field candidates under the NDA banner. He said the two parties had an underst-anding and taken a clear decision on the issue of contesting elections. Reacting to CM DK Shivak-umar’s asse-rtion that he would become the CM after the 2028 Assembly elections, Yediyurappa alleged that attempts were being made to use money power, muscle power and official machinery to retain power.
Asked if Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy would be the CM if the BJP-JDS alliance comes to power, Yediyurappa said the immediate priority was to face the elections together. Yediyurappa hailed the bravery of Captain Smit Machchhar who dared to save the lives of 174 people aboard Flydubai flight and said Smit brought laurels to the country by saving people’s lives. “I will appeal to the President and Prime Minister to present Bharat Ratna award to Smit,” he said.
