Karnataka Congress Leaders Eye Council Gains as Voting Begins

Polls opened at 9 AM and remain active until 4 PM, with two specialized booths established within the state secretariat to accommodate secret balloting by MLAs. The election follows the impending retirement of seven incumbents, including figures such as B.K. Hariprasad and M.T.B. Nagaraju, whose terms expire on June 30.

Party confidence remains high among the Congress ranks. Former minister Santosh Lad and senior leader Satish Jarkiholi both affirmed the party holds the necessary legislative numbers to secure all five contested seats. Addressing concerns over internal party friction, Jarkiholi maintained that existing groups remain committed to the party line. Meanwhile, MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao pointed to preparatory mock voting sessions as evidence of their readiness. On the opposition side, MLA KN Rajanna suggested that tactical vote reallocation by the BJP signals a likely defeat for the JD(S) candidate, potentially clearing a path for Congress to expand its current 37-seat representation in the 75-member Upper House.