Congress’s victory and 11 additional votes bolster image of DKS in his first test

The victory of all five candidates in the Legislative Council elections and 11 additional votes that the Congress gathered from the cross-voting from BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) will not only give the ruling party a clear majority in the Upper House, but is also expected to elevate the image of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar within the Congress. For, the cross-voting from the BJP comes at a time when multiple regional parties across the country are in a turmoil.

The Congress with 135 votes along with support of two independents, one member of Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha and two expelled members of the BJP, was assured of 140 votes, while it eventually managed to secure 11 more votes from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners.

Message to JD (S)

The victory is expected to strengthen the hands of the Chief Minister, who faced his first big test after assuming power, as he settles down in the post. It is also seen as a message to the JD(S) as to what it can expect with Mr. Shivakumar likely to work on consolidation of Vokkaliga voter base.

Coming amid speculation over cross-voting, the Congress also held its fort tightly, and the election preparation seems to have been meticulously planned and executed. The party under the Chief Minister’s supervision had held three mock votings ahead of the polls to train its legislators, especially the first-timers.

Sources said, “Cross-voting from Congress did not happen due to multiple factors. One factor was the Chief Minister’s power within the party. And legislators were also aware of the influence of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in their respective constituencies, and had the fear of losing out minority votes.”

Passage of Bills

A clear majority in the House gives Congress the strength to ensure passage of Bills in the Upper House without much trouble.

Some of the Bills include the Karnataka Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, Karnataka Souharda Sahakari (Amendment) Bill and Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, which had been stalled by the Opposition before eventually being passed. With the victory in five seats, Congress will have 39 members in the 75-member Upper House.

Chairman post

A Congress source also said that the majority for the party will allow it to have its members being elected to the post of Chairman and Deputy Chairman currently held by Basavaraj Horatti and M.K. Pranesh.

“The party, which is under pressure from aspirants for the Cabinet, could accommodate two such persons in these posts. The changes could be effected as early as in the next monsoon session,” sources added.