Key facts
- The JDS has entered the fray for the Karnataka legislative council polls, creating a contest for seven seats.
- The JDS has 18 MLAs and needs four more votes to secure a win, with the BJP reportedly offering six surplus votes.
- The Congress has nominated five candidates, while the BJP has fielded two.
- The entry of the JDS candidate has intensified concerns about poaching and cross-voting among both ruling and opposition parties.
- Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is reportedly apprehensive about potential embarrassment from disgruntled Congress MLAs.
The upcoming legislative council polls in Karnataka have become a focal point of political maneuvering, with the JDS's decision to field a candidate creating a contest for seven seats. This move has heightened tensions between the ruling Congress and the opposition JDS, both of whom are concerned about their MLAs being poached. The JDS, led by Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, has 18 MLAs and is reportedly set to receive six surplus votes from the BJP, needing only four more to secure a win. The Congress, which had initially named five candidates, now faces a tighter race, particularly for the seat contested by Vinay Karthik Prakash against the JDS's Govindaraju. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is reportedly wary of potential embarrassment from disgruntled Congress MLAs, while Kumaraswamy may seek to leverage any discontent within the Congress ranks. Both parties are considering sequestering their MLAs to prevent them from being influenced by rivals.