Karnataka MLC Election Results 2021: Meet the winners

Bengaluru, Dec 14: The ruling BJP clinched 11 seats, but fell short of a simple majority in the Karnataka MLC Election 2021 for 25 posts. While Congress has won 11, the JD(S) won two seat in Hassan after former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's grand-son Suraj Revanna's victory.

The election was held on Friday and witnessed an estimated 99+ per cent voter turnout.

Here's the final tally of the MLC polls results

BJP - 11
Congress - 11
JD(S) - 2
Independent - 1

With these results, BJP's strength in the 75-member 'Upper House' has gone up from 32 to 37, while the Congress' tally declined from 29 to 26, and the JD(S)' numbers came down from 12 to 10. During the previous MLC polls from the Local Authorities' constituencies in 2015, the BJP had won six, Congress 14 and the JD(S) four seats respectively, while one seat had gone to an independent.

Meet the Winners:

Mysuru-Chamarajanagar: Dr Thimmaiah (Congress)
Dakhina Kannada (Bicameral): Kota Srinivasa Poojary (BJP) and Manjunath Bhandari (Congress)
Chitradurga-Davangere: KS Naveen (BJP)
Shivamogga: DS Arun Kumar (BJP)
Belavagavi (Bicameral): Channaraj Hattiholi (Congress) and Lakhan Jarakiholi (Independent)
Bengaluru: Gopinath Reddy (BJP)
Kodagu: Suja Kushalappa (BJP)
Uttara Kannada: Ganapathi Ulvekar (BJP)
Kalaburgi: BJ Paatil (BJP)
Ballari: YM Satish (BJP)
Dharwad (Bicameral: Pradeep Shettar (BJP) and Salim Ahmed (Congress)
Vijayapura: (Bicameral): PH Poojara (BJP) and Sunila Gowda Pateela (Congress)
Mandya: MG Gooligowda (Congress)
Raichur: Sharana Gowda Baiyyapura (Congress)
Bidar: Bhima Rao Patil (Congress)
Kolar: Anil Kumar (Congress)
Bengaluru Rural: S Ravi (Congress)
Tumakkuru: R Rajendra
Hassan: Suraj Revanna

More details awaited:

Speaking to reporters in Varanasi, Karnataka CM Bommai expressed confidence of "good results" in favour of the BJP. The Congress too is determined to win maximum seats to keep the BJP away from gaining control of the upper house; while JD(S) has expressed confidence about winning all the six seats it is contesting in. With the aim to get a majority in the Council, State BJP strongman and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, ahead of the polls, had openly sought JD(S)' support for BJP candidates in the seats where the regional party was not contesting.

Voting Percentage
All the constituencies recorded over 99 per cent, the tentative poll turnout data shared by the officer said. Out of the total 90 candidates in the fray, 20 each were from BJP and Congress, six from JD(S), 33 independents, and rest were all from smaller parties. There was only one woman candidate in the fray, contesting from the Chikkamagaluru constituency.

The electorate for this election comprises legislators, elected members of urban and rural local bodies. Unlike legislative assembly or Lok Sabha polls, the council contests are decided by preferential votes. The election was necessitated as the term of 25 incumbent MLCs - 14 Congress, seven BJP and four JD(S) - ends on January 5.

The elections were held for two seats each from the local authorities constituencies of Bijapur, Belgaum, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru; and one each from Bidar, Gulbarga, Uttara Kannada, Raichur, Bellary, Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Tumakuru, Mandya, Bangalore, Bangalore Rural, Kolar and Kodagu.

The result of the MLC elections will have a bearing on the power equation in the 75-member Upper House. All three parties in the fray have expressed confidence about winning maximum seats.
The BJP requires 13 seats to secure a majority in the house. The good performance in this election will also be a morale booster following a defeat in Hangal seat in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's home district of Haveri during the recent Assembly bypolls.