Karnataka MLC Election: Will Congress get majority in Legislative Assembly or JDS-BJP will keep us waiting?

With the Lok Sabha elections yet to be over, the political heat for the Legislative Assembly elections is heating up in Karnataka. Elections are to be held for 17 Legislative Council (MLC) seats in the state. In this, the election will be held on June 3 for 6 seats of teacher-graduate quota. Polling for 11 MLC seats with MLA quota will be held on June 13. After the Assembly, the Congress is also trying to secure a majority in the Legislative Council. At the same time, it is an irritant for the BJP-JDS alliance. It remains to be seen whether the political plans of the Congress will succeed or whether the friendship between BJP and JDU will bear fruit. There are a total of 75 seats in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. BJP has 32 MLCs and Congress has 29 MLCs in the state. JDS has seven MLCs and one independent MLC. Tejaswini Gowda and KP Nanjundi of BJP, Maridip Gowda of JDS and Jagadish Shettar of Congress have resigned, leaving 5 seats vacant. A majority of 38 members is required in the state assembly, considering that the Congress is short by 9 members. BJP-JDS is set to get 3 seats and JDS one seat out of 6 seats for MLC teacher-graduate quota. Congress needs to win all 6 seats of teacher-graduate quota to get majority in upper house. Apart from this, elections for 11 MLA quota seats are due on June 13, the results of which are almost certain. Based on the number of MLAs in the assembly, Congress is guaranteed to get 7 seats, BJP 3 seats and JD(S) 1 seat. In this way, a primary election is held for the six seats of the faculty-graduate quota, the result of which will determine the majority in the Legislative Assembly. There is an alliance between BJP and JDS in 6 seats for graduate and teachers. BJP is contesting in 5 seats and JDS in 1 seat. Congress is testing its luck in all 6 constituencies. “We have a good chance of winning in 6 constituencies,” Chief Whip of the Legislative Assembly Salim Ahmed told reporters and said that he expected to win in all 6 constituencies to be held in June. 3. He said that people are happy with Congress rule. We have a good chance of winning all the six constituencies. By this we will fill the vacancy left by Jagadish Shettar and attain majority. Meanwhile, out of the 11 MLC constituencies to be held on June 13, two seats are already vacant. At present, out of nine seats, BJP and Congress have won 4 seats each and JD(S) one seat. However, the result of the election is considered already decided based on the number in the assembly. Congress may get 7 seats, BJP 3 seats and JD(S) 1 seat. In case of cross polling, the number of seats may change. If the Congress gets 38 seats in the assembly, it will get a simple majority, which will reduce the tally of the DMK to 35. The Congress will also have to fill one seat left vacant by Shettar's resignation, taking the number to 39. But if the BJP-JDS alliance wins 3 seats in the June 3 elections, the Congress will have to wait a long time to get a majority in the Legislative Assembly. Due to this the check mate game has started on both sides. BJP has always dominated the graduate and faculty constituencies. Being the ruling party, Congress will try to capture most of the MLC seats. Congress is trying to win 6 seats in the June 3 elections. However, the Congress is yet to decide its candidates for the 11 constituencies in the June 13 polls. There is a long line of leaders who have become MLCs from the Congress. All senior Congress leaders are making arrangements for it. It remains to be seen which leaders the Congress decides to send to the Upper House.