Karnataka has declared the results of the Rajya Sabha elections, marking a notable victory for Congress with three wins. Candidates Ajay Makan, Nasir Hussain, and GC Chandrashekhar have secured success. Meanwhile, BJP's Narayana Bhandaage and JDS's Kupendra Reddy also emerged victorious. The elections were marked by instances of cross-voting.
In an interesting turn, BJP legislator ST Somashekhar engaged in cross-voting, while Shivaram Hebbar abstained from voting. The BJP garnered 48 votes against Congress's 139 and JDS's 35. Independent legislators like Janardhan Reddy, Latha Mallikarjun, Puttaswamy Gowda, and Darshan Puttannaiah cast their votes in favor of Congress candidates. The anticipation of cross-voting loomed over the elections beforehand.
In a pre-emptive move, the Congress party had sequestered all its legislators in a private resort. Five candidates were in the fray from Karnataka, including Ajay Makan, Syed Nasir Hussain, and GC Chandrashekhar from Congress, Narayana Bhandaage from BJP, and Kupendra Reddy from JDS.
The voting process spanned from 9 AM to 4 PM, following which the counting of votes commenced. With 134 legislators in the state assembly, Congress surpassed expectations by receiving 139 votes, revealing cross-voting tendencies. The BJP challenged fiercely with 66 lawmakers, and the JDS, holding 19 seats in the assembly, along with four independents, swayed in Congress's favor.
