Elections to 25 seats of Karnataka Legislative Council on December 10

Elections to 25 Legislative Council seats, whose term ends on January 5, 2022, will be held on December 10 and the results declared on December 14.

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the biennial election to the Council from 20 local authorities’ constituencies for 25 seats.

The notification for the elections will be issued on November 16. November 23 will be the last date for filing nominations. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 26. The model code of conduct will come into effect immediately in the constituencies concerned.

The elections are being seen as a big opportunity for the BJP to get a majority in the 75-member House, and comes after the bitterly contested byelections to Hangal and Sindgi Assembly constituencies.

Currently, the Upper House has 32 BJP members, 29 Congress members, and 12 Janata Dal (Secular) members, one Independent member, and the Chairman. Of the 25 members retiring from the House, the maximum are from the Congress (13), which wrested Hangal Assembly constituency from the BJP, followed by the BJP (6), JD(S) (5) members, and the Independent.

The members whose term is coming to an end include Social Welfare Minister and House Leader Kota Srinivas Poojari, Deputy Chairman M.K. Pranesh, Leader of the Opposition S.R. Patil, former Chairman K. Prathapachandra Shetty, senior Congress leader K.C. Kondaiah, Chief Whips of BJP, Congress, and JD(S) Mahantesh Kavatagimath, M. Narayanswamy, and Appaji Gowda, respectively. The tenure of Congress’s member Srinivas Mane also comes to an end on January 5. He has been elected to the Assembly in the bypoll from Hangal.