Karnataka Legislative Council Polls: JD(S) Upset in Bengaluru Teachers Seat, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Holds North-East Teachers

Counting of votes for four graduate and teacher constituencies began on October 27, after polling on October 23. The BJP-JD(S) alliance secured two seats. JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeated five-time incumbent Congress MLC Puttanna in the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency by 908 votes (10,810 to 9,902). In the North-East Teachers’ constituency, BJP candidate Shashil G. Namoshi retained his seat, beating Congress rival Sharanappa Mattur by 3,297 votes (15,596 to 12,299).

ThePrintThe HinduNew Indian ExpressNDA wrests Bengaluru Teachers' seat from Congress, Kumaraswamy calls it historic The HinduThe Hindu

The Karnataka Legislative Council has 75 members. Before the election it comprised 38 Congress, 24 BJP, six JD(S), one Independent and Chairman Saleem Ahmed; five nomination seats were vacant. The four contested seats were Bengaluru Teachers, South-East Graduates, West Graduates and North-East Teachers. The BJP and JD(S) ran together in three seats, while Congress fielded candidates in all four.

The HinduThePrintNDA wrests Bengaluru Teachers' seat from Congress, Kumaraswamy calls it historic New Indian ExpressThe HinduThe Hindu

• Bengaluru Teachers: 22,468 of 27,405 registered voters cast ballots (turnout 81.98%). Valid votes 21,056; rejected 1,857. Independents received 344 votes.

New Indian Express

• North-East Teachers: 30,250 of 34,784 eligible voters voted (turnout 86.97%). Valid votes 28,380; rejected 1,873. Namoshi’s first-preference tally was 15,596, crossing the winning quota of 14,191.

The Hindu

• Other constituencies (still being counted on October 27): BJP’s K M Suresh led in South-East Graduates, and BJP incumbent S V Sankanur led in West Graduates, with JD(S) candidate Mohan Limbikai challenging him.

ThePrint

• Shashil G. Namoshi thanked teachers for their confidence and pledged to continue addressing their grievances. He noted the result could indicate the political climate ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls.

The Hindu

• Congress leaders D K Shivakumar and B K Hariprasad campaigned across constituencies; no post-result statements were available in the source material.

NDA wrests Bengaluru Teachers' seat from Congress, Kumaraswamy calls it historic

The outcomes test the BJP-JD(S) alliance’s coordination across distinct electorates. Winning Bengaluru Teachers gives the alliance a foothold in a seat held by Congress for five terms, while retaining North-East Teachers reinforces BJP’s position in the Kalyana Karnataka region. The overall Council balance is unlikely to shift dramatically, as the five vacant nomination seats are expected to be filled by the ruling Congress, but the alliance gains ammunition to challenge the state government ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.

The Hindu