Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 27 (ANI): In the Karnataka Legislative Council, JD(S)-BJP alliance candidate AP Ranganath won the Bengaluru Teachers Constituency, defeating Congress candidate and former Legislative Council member Puttanna.
The election was held on October 23, and counting was held on Tuesday. In the teachers constituency, there was a direct contest between Congress and the JD(S)-BJP alliance.
Puttanna has won several times from the same constituency. In the by-election held in 2024, as the Congress candidate, he had defeated JDS candidate AP Ranganath. This time, in the same constituency, the result stood reversed.
In this election, BJP and JDS formed an alliance and contested in four constituencies. Bengaluru Teachers Constituency was left to JDS. Transfer of votes of BJP workers and supporters to the JDS candidate was the main challenge for the alliance. Ranganath’s victory has brought to the fore the importance of election coordination of alliance parties in this constituency.
In the Bengaluru Teachers Constituency, 81.98 per cent polling was recorded. Teachers participated enthusiastically to elect their representative.
The counting of votes for the biennial election-2026 to the Bengaluru Teachers Constituency of the Karnataka Legislative Council concluded peacefully, and BJP and JDS-supported candidate AP Ranganath has been elected, informed Amlan Aditya Biswas, Regional Commissioner, Bengaluru and Returning Officer for Bengaluru Teachers Constituency and Karnataka South-East Graduates Constituency.
Out of a total of 27,405 voters, 22,468 exercised their franchise, recording 81.98 per cent polling. Among those who voted, there were 8,360 men and 14,108 women.
The counting of votes started at 8 am today at the Government Arts College on Dr BR Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru, and at the end of the first preferential vote count, AP Ranganath secured 10,810 votes and emerged victorious. In various rounds of counting, Ranganath got a lead of 908 votes over the Congress candidate and was elected.
Puttanna secured 9,902 votes; Karnataka Rashtra Samithi candidate GR Hebbar 94 votes, independent candidate Umesh Babu Pillegowda 215 votes, independent candidate BS Nagaraju 11 votes and independent candidate N Lakshmana Swamy secured 24 votes.
A total of 21,056 votes were valid, and 1,857 votes were rejected, Biswas informed.
Union Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy has termed the NDA’s victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections as a victory of truth over falsehood and misrule.
Reacting to the results on X, Kumaraswamy posted: “Satyameva Jayate. Falsehood, misgovernance, money power and muscle power have lost. This election has heralded a new sunrise of hope. In the election held to the Legislative Council from Bengaluru Teachers Constituency, the #NDA alliance has registered a grand victory and congratulations to our consensus candidate Shri AP Ranganath. Likewise, victory of NDA candidates in the other three constituencies is also certain.”
Kumaraswamy thanked the workers and leaders of both JD(S) and BJP and the teachers who voted, rejecting allurement and arrogance of power.
“My heartfelt thanks to all the karyakarta brothers of JDS and BJP, leaders and teachers who exercised their precious votes rejecting temptation and arrogance of power. As Guru is the path, they have written a commentary for the next change. This victory is historic. A clear mandate for the 2028 Assembly elections. This election has shown that there is strength in unity and alliance. From this Deepavali itself, the fall of Narakasura has begun, and by next Deepavali, it is certain that the early light of the alliance will shine in Kannada Nadu,” he said.
He also thanked the inspirational forces of the alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former PM HD Deve Gowda.
Meanwhile, JD(S) youth leader Nikhil Kumar took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over allegations of “vote chori”, stating that the NDA won in Bengaluru despite the state machinery being in Congress’ hands and the polls being conducted via ballot papers.
“Dear @RahulGandhi, Sir, No EVMs to blame, state machinery in your hands, and the election conducted via paper ballots. Yet, NDA’s Shri A.P. Ranganath wins the Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency MLC election! Now that educated teachers voted on paper right under your government’s nose, what’s today’s excuse: “Paper Chori”? Congratulations to A.P. Ranganath and all NDA leaders and Karyakarthas of @BJP4Karnataka and @JanataDal_S !” he posted.
Meanwhile, NDA candidate Shasheel G. Namoshi won from the North East Teachers’ Constituency.
Shasheel Namoshi, who contested as the joint candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, won with a comfortable margin, retaining the stronghold of teachers in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.
The North East Teachers’ Constituency comprises teachers from Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Ballari districts, where intensive campaigning was carried out by both alliance partners.
Party leaders said the win reflects the trust teachers have reposed in the NDA’s pro-education and pro-teacher policies and the organisational strength of the alliance at the grassroots level. (ANI)
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