Bengaluru woke up on Wednesday to a result the ruling Congress had not planned for. All four Karnataka Legislative Council seats that went to the polls last week have gone to the opposition. The BJP kept three seats and its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), took the fourth, leaving the Congress with nothing from an election fought among teachers and graduates.
The outcome does not threaten the Congress government. The Legislative Council cannot bring a government down, and the party still holds a comfortable lead in the 75-member House. But as a message, delivered a little over a year before the 2028 Assembly elections, it was hard to miss. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also leads the state Congress, accepted the verdict in public and said the party would review what went wrong.
Polling for the four seats was held on October 23, using ballot papers as is the practice in these constituencies. Counting began on Tuesday and stretched overnight for two seats. In all, 43 candidates contested. Turnout was strong among teachers, at 81.98 percent in Bengaluru Teachers and 86.97 percent in North-East Teachers, while graduates turned out at 73.58 percent in South-East Graduates and 75.62 percent in West Graduates.
Bengaluru Teachers: the seat that changed hands
The sharpest contest was in Bengaluru Teachers, the only seat to change hands. JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath, backed by the BJP, defeated sitting Congress member Puttanna by 908 votes. Ranganath polled 10,810 votes to Puttanna’s 9,902.
The result carried a personal edge. Puttanna, a five-time member of the Council and a former Deputy Chairman, had left the JD(S) for the Congress before the 2023 Assembly elections. In a 2024 by-election he had beaten Ranganath after switching sides. This time, Ranganath reversed that result.
Kalaburagi delivers a pointed message
In North-East Teachers, sitting BJP member Shashil G Namoshi won his fifth election from the seat, defeating Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur by 3,297 votes. Namoshi polled 15,596 votes to Mattur’s 12,299.
The constituency covers Kalaburagi, the home district of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with neighbouring districts in the Kalyana Karnataka region. That geography is why the BJP made much of this win. The Congress pointed out that teachers’ and graduates’ elections turn on local networks and personal standing as much as on party labels.
The graduates’ seats stay with the BJP
The two graduates’ constituencies produced the largest margins of the day. In South-East Graduates, BJP candidate KM Suresh defeated Congress nominee Shashi Hulikunte Mutt by 23,098 votes. In West Graduates, sitting BJP member SV Sankanur beat Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai by 9,323 votes, polling 33,711 votes to Limbikai’s 24,388.
Both seats were BJP-held, so the party’s task was to defend rather than gain. It did so comfortably, and the scale of the South-East margin gave the NDA something to celebrate beyond the headline sweep. The JD(S) and BJP fought these elections together, and the coordination showed: the alliance won every seat it contested.
What the leaders said
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) leader, was quick to frame the result as a preview of 2028. He said the verdict showed that the Chief Minister “only gives assurances but does not implement” them. The BJP’s Karnataka unit took a lighter tone online, posting “DK, it’s done, bro” alongside news of the 4-0 sweep.
Shivakumar struck a more sober note. “We respect and accept the voters’ verdict. We had expected to win two seats. The voters have sent us a message, and we will review the results,” he told reporters. Veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said people were “fed up” of the Congress and called for fresh elections, a demand the ruling party is certain to ignore.
Neither side disputes the arithmetic that now shapes the Council. The 75-member House has 37 Congress members, 24 from the BJP, seven from the JD(S), one Independent and Chairman Saleem Ahmed, with five seats reserved for government nominations lying vacant. The Congress majority in the Upper House is intact, which is why Wednesday’s result is best read as a political signal rather than a change in power.
Teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies are small, educated and organised electorates, where candidates win through personal networks built over years. That is why parties watch them closely. For the BJP and JD(S), the sweep is a morale boost ahead of 2028. For the Congress, what it does with Wednesday’s message is the part of the story still to be written.
FAQs
Which party won the Karnataka MLC elections?
The BJP-JD(S) alliance won all four seats. The BJP won three seats and the JD(S) won one, while the Congress lost all four.
When were the Karnataka MLC polls held?
Polling was held on October 23, 2026, and counting took place on October 27 and 28. Ballot papers were used, as is the practice in teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies.
Who won the Bengaluru Teachers seat?
JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath won by 908 votes, defeating sitting Congress member Puttanna by 10,810 votes to 9,902.
Does the result affect the Karnataka government?
No. The Congress still leads the 75-member Legislative Council with 37 members, and the Council cannot bring down the government. The result is a political setback, not a change in power.
What did DK Shivakumar say about the results?
He said the Congress respected the verdict, had expected to win two seats, and would review the results and strengthen the party organisation.
Results and margins are based on official counts reported on October 28, 2026.
