CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News /Agencies/ Bhopal: Congress wins just one MLC seat, draws blank in Karnataka
The Congress has suffered a major setback in elections held for 28 Legislative Council (MLC) seats across four states. The party could win only one seat, while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) captured 16 seats. The Congress’s worst performance came in Karnataka, where, despite being in power, the party failed to open its account. The results of these elections in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka have raised questions over the Congress’s electoral performance and organisational preparedness.
BJP-JD(S) alliance dominates in Karnataka: In Karnataka, the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) alliance won all four Legislative Council seats that went to polls. The BJP won the North-East Teachers’, South-East Graduates’ and West Graduates’ constituencies, while the JD(S) defeated the Congress in the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency. JD(S) candidate A.P. Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes. Despite the Congress government in the state, defeat on all four seats is being seen as a significant political setback for the party.
Congress’s only win comes from Nagpur in Maharashtra: In Maharashtra’s Nagpur Graduates’ constituency, Congress candidate and sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari defeated the BJP’s Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. Wanjari secured 67,231 votes, while Kohale received 63,960 votes. With this victory, the Congress managed to win only one of the 28 seats across the four states. The BJP’s defeat in Nagpur also drew attention because it is the home region of Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Jan Suraaj opens account in Bihar: In Bihar, the Jan Suraaj Party entered the Legislative Council for the first time. Its candidate from the Darbhanga Teachers’ constituency, Suresh Prasad Rai, defeated senior Congress leader and former state president Madan Mohan Jha by 324 votes. In the elections for eight seats in Bihar, the BJP and its allies won four seats, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Jan Suraaj secured one seat each. Independent candidates won the remaining two seats. These results also caused losses for the Congress in Bihar.
BJP and SP contest in Uttar Pradesh: The election for 11 seats of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council saw a contest between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party. According to the declared results, the BJP won six seats, while the SP registered victories on five seats. In the Varanasi Teachers’ constituency, the SP’s Lal Bihari Yadav retained his seat by defeating the BJP candidate. Across the four states, the NDA secured a total of 16 seats, while the Congress was restricted to just one. The results have once again underlined the important role of regional equations, candidate popularity and organisational activity.
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