Congress Wins 5 Of 7 Karnataka MLC Seats As BJP, JD(S) Hit By Cross-Voting Shock

[00:00:04]And moving on to more breaking news we're tracking from Karnataka. The legislative council elections have delivered a major political win for the Congress and a fresh headache for the BJP in what is being seen as Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's first major electoral test since taking charge of the state unit. The Congress won five of the [music] seven seats that went to polls. What's also making headlines is the voting arithmetic. The Congress along with three independents [music] was expected to have 138 votes, but when the ballots were counted, the ruling alliance had secured [music] 151 votes, which means a gain of 12 votes, which has sparked allegations of cross-voting from the BJP and the JDS legislators. The BJP has openly acknowledged concerns over possible defections during voting and is now expected to hold an emergency meeting to analyze the results and identify those who may have crossed party lines. For the Congress, it's a morale-boosting victory. So, winning a major chunk of the MLC uh seats has led to a Congress victory also has led to D.K. Shivakumar passing this first electoral test ever since he uh took charge of the leadership in Karnataka. Let's also play out more reactions that my colleagues have been bringing to you on this big story. Listen in.

[00:01:20]>> You were confident that there was going to be everybody vote. Now there's been cross-voting. How much of cross-voting has happened, sir?

[00:01:25]>> I have to verify.

[00:01:27]>> How many has it happened, sir, and why?

[00:01:29]>> I don't know. I don't know. We have to verify.

[00:01:32]>> So, how many Ashok Ashok sir?

[00:01:33]>> Three. Three.

[00:01:34]>> Sir, what about the votes that had to come to Mr. What about the votes that had to come to Mr. Lingaraj Patil as well?

[00:01:41]>> We have to verify. We have to verify.

[00:01:46]>> Very big uh mandate has been given among the legislators.

[00:01:52]I could see the numbers.

[00:01:54]Many of my different political parties cutting across the party line.

[00:02:00]They have voted in the favor of the government.

[00:02:03]They have agreed the policies.

[00:02:06]I thank all the legislators who have helped us, who have voted us, who have agreed to the how the government is functioning.

[00:02:16]So, we stood unitedly, and these are the result for the unity of the Congress party in the country.

[00:02:22]>> Calculation over cross-voting has indeed come true in Karnataka as far as the MLC elections are concerned. Five of the seven seats won by the Congress, and interestingly, the numbers we're tracking, the arithmetic, really uh pointing to the fact that yes, cross-voting has indeed taken place.

[00:02:39]That JDS BJP MLCs have possibly, or legislators, I beg your pardon, have possibly voted for the Congress because the assessment was, the calculation was that Congress, including independents, would lead to 138. In reality, 151 a gain of 12. So, 12 BJP uh or JDS legislators have uh for sure voted for the Congress, which is what explains the manner in which D.K. Shivakumar calls it his own victory. This is, remember, his first electoral test after having taken over from his predecessor, uh Siddaramaiah, and in that sense, it certainly is a big, big boost for the Congress in Karnataka, especially for D.K. Shivakumar and his loyalists. I do want to bring in Harish Upadhya into the conversation. Five seats for the Congress, the story self-explanatory there, but the bigger story is the cross-voting. That fear is now turned into a reality, but for the BJP and the JDS combined. Harish, over to you for what is going on behind the scenes.

[00:03:40]>> Uh well, looks like uh the kind of disgruntlement that's there within the BJP camp and the JDS camp, and the Congress has managed to encash on it.

[00:03:49]Let's look at the numbers, Chris Queen.

[00:03:51]135 is what the Congress has on its own.

[00:03:54]There are there are three independents including a Sarvodaya Party MLA who are officially part of this government from day one. So, technically Congress plus stands at 138. What they've got is 140 151 out of which two are rebel MLAs who BJP rebel MLAs who openly associated themselves or are seen in the Congress camp. So, technically 140 was the number that everyone was looking at that the Congress party had. That was good enough for them to get all their five candidates through and win. But, they've got 11 extra votes and this many are saying is from JDS and the BJP. The BJP is perhaps trying to say that the large number of cross voting happened from the JDS. In fact, I remember the JDS four votes have gone is the calculation, but the BJP says it's more than that. Our candidates or our MLAs voted for the JDS. So, they are saying more number from the JDS switched over to the Congress and voted for them. So, because this is a secret ballot, all parties, especially the BJP and the JDS now trying to cut their losses and say no the other one had more defection or more people voting for the Congress. But, the Congress coming out and saying that this is a huge thumbs up given by several BJP JDS MLAs for their guarantees and for their governance for the last three years.

[00:05:11]>> because at the end of the day it's thumbs up for the Congress, isn't it?

[00:05:14]And thumbs down really for the BJP JDS combined, whatever that equation could have been like. Thank you, Harish, for that. Stay on with us. There's more breaking news coming in on how BJP insiders feel cross voting was done to cut V. Vijayendra to size. Many have been disgruntled with him. They want him out when the new BJP national president forms his [music] team or state units get new presidents. Congress also say they had anticipated couple of votes from the JDS camp for sure, but cross voting from the BJP has surprised them.

[00:05:46]So, this is the sense in the Congress camp also BJP insiders strongly suggesting at the moment that this possibly the cross voting on part of BJP legislators is possibly the result of some of these legislators wanting to ensure that B.Y. Vijayendra is not being able to exercise the kind of power he holds at the moment. Many disgruntled with him. They want him out and are now hoping for change, hoping for the BJP national president to form his own team when the state units get new presidents.

[00:06:18]They're really looking at a churn in that sense. So, this is possibly the BJP legislators signaling at the fact that there certainly is discontentment at the state level at the against the leadership at the moment. Going across to Harish on that note. Once again, Harish. So, there is a strong sentiment coming in from the Congress. Sources indicate that they're quite taken aback by the fact that BJP too has cross voted in the MLC election. But, what is this discontentment against B.Y. Vijayendra and to what extent?

[00:06:50]>> Well, many within the party want B.Y.

[00:06:52]Vijayendra out. They want him out from that state president post and they've been lobbying it. In fact, some of them have been lobbying openly while others have been doing it behind closed doors.

[00:07:02]And they feel now that the BJP has a new national president, he'll be forming his own team. Already several state units have got a new president. They feel it's time that Karnataka too gets one. Many feel B.Y. Vijayendra got the seat because his father, B.S. Yeddyurappa, is the tallest man, the mass leader for the BJP. He was not a deserving candidate.

[00:07:21]That's the assessment or that's the grouse that many had and they've been opposing him. So, many within the BJP camp feel that some of them who cross voted cross voted just to cut Vijayendra to size, not essentially to support the Congress. They feel it'll send a message to the to the BJP high command that Vijayendra does not have complete control over the party and uh perhaps they are sensing opportunity uh where a new president can be brought in in place of Vijendra in in Karnataka. That's the assessment. Uh we'll have to see how the BJP high command now uh assesses the situation in terms of the cross-voting that's happened. Uh the JDS on the other hand, clearly it's it's it's a huge dent for them. It's a huge warning as well going into 2028.

[00:08:03]They've already been reduced to 18 in 2023 uh assembly election. Now with the significant cross-voting happening, they will have to figure out who are the disgruntled elements. G.T.

[00:08:15]Deve Gowda is one name that was known.

[00:08:16]He He did not vote alongside the JDS MLAs. He came on his own in the morning and voted separately. So, it there was assessment that he perhaps could be going against the JDS, uh but now more number of them perhaps have cross-voted.

[00:08:29]So, huge worry for H.D. Kumaraswamy.

[00:08:32]>> Yeah. So far the anger is limited to cross-voting, but could this turn to defections? And how soon really? Could this be more trouble for the BJP to a greater extent for the JDS too? Thank you, Harish. Uh we're going to be tracking that very closely for now.

[00:08:46]Certainly, it's a big victory for D.K.

[00:08:48]Shivakumar uh and his party in Karnataka. We play out more reactions we've picked up on the story. Listen in.

[00:08:56]>> Sir, your first thoughts?

[00:08:58]>> Uh I'm really happy. I'm very grateful, thankful to our party high command, our leader, our state president Yeddyurappa ji, and our national president, and uh national organizing secretary. All are behind me. And today I will grateful to our voters, legislators, all legislators.

[00:09:17]>> Some concerns over cross-voting that's possibly taken place within the BJP camp, at least couple of votes.

[00:09:23]>> That issue is looking our high command is take care of.

[00:09:29]>> My final question.

[00:09:30]The assessment was that BJP's both candidates would get 30 votes each. In your case, you've fallen short by one.

[00:09:37]You've still won, but you got 29 votes.

[00:09:39]>> Yes. Yes.

[00:09:40]>> Where did the calculation go wrong, sir?

[00:09:43]>> I don't know.

[00:09:44]Issues in in front of our Our high command is looking all that.

[00:09:50]>> Thank you.