Kumaraswamy Criticizes Congress After NDA Wins All MLC Seats in Karnataka
H.D. Kumaraswamy celebrates NDAs MLC election victory, criticizing Congress for cross-voting issues and urging self-reflection.
Bengaluru, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : H.D. Kumaraswamy, the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, celebrated the NDA’s victory in all four seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council elections on Thursday. He directed his criticism at the ruling Congress party, questioning their involvement in cross-voting. Kumaraswamy emphasized that the BJP-JD(S) candidates achieved a clear win.
In his response to the election results, Kumaraswamy pointed out that none of the victorious candidates benefited from cross-voting. He stated that these results should serve as a moment of introspection for those involved in cross-voting.
The former Chief Minister accused the Congress of benefiting from cross-voting in previous Rajya Sabha elections, contrasting that with the direct victories of BJP and JD(S) candidates in the MLC elections.
“Our four winners are not among those who gained from cross-voting. Those who engaged in cross-voting should now reflect on their actions,” he remarked.
Kumaraswamy also warned those responsible for cross-voting that they would face consequences. Amid the political ramifications of the election results, he delivered a pointed message to the Congress party.
Notably, the Congress did not secure any seats in the MLC elections, while the NDA claimed victory in four seats—three for the BJP and one for the JD(S).
The elections held on October 23 were seen as a test of coordination between the BJP and JD(S) and an assessment of Congress’s support among teachers and graduates.
The BJP won the North-East Teachers constituency, the South-East Graduates constituency, and the Western Graduates constituency, while its ally JD(S) took the Bengaluru Teachers constituency.
Opposition leader R. Ashok remarked that the NDA’s success in all four seats signals promising prospects for the upcoming assembly elections. He expressed confidence that if the BJP-JD(S) alliance collaborates effectively, they could secure over 160 seats in the 224-member assembly.
Ashok attributed the victory of A.P. Ranganath from the Bengaluru Teachers constituency to the cooperation between leaders and workers of both parties. He claimed that the defeat of the Congress-supported candidate, Puttanna, is a significant setback for Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
He further advised Congress leaders to reflect on their losses in all four seats, asserting that the NDA is poised to bring a stable government to Karnataka.
