K’taka MLC polls today, 90 candidates in the fray

Bengaluru, Dec 09 (PTI):
Voting for biennial election to the Karnataka Legislative Council’s 25 seats from 20 Local Authorities’ Constituencies will take place on Friday, for which 90 candidates are in the fray. The polling will be held between 8 am to 4 pm, the results of which will be declared on December 14. Out of total 90 candidates in the fray, twenty each are from BJP and Congress, six from JD(S), 33 independents and rest are all from smaller parties. Among the candidates, there is only one woman from Chikmagalur.
According to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, there are 6,072 polling stations, and 23,065 polling officials including micro observers, have been deployed for poll duty. The electorate for this election comprises elected members of urban and rural local bodies, and unlike legislative assembly or Lok Sabha polls, council contests are decided by preferential votes.
The election is necessitated as the term of 25 incumbent MLCs 14 Congress, seven BJP and four JD(S) will end on January 5 next year. The poll outcome will have a bearing on the power equation in the 75-member Upper House, where the ruling BJP wants to gain a majority. Both BJP and Congress have claimed that they will win maximum seats in this election, while JD(S) has expressed confidence about winning all the six seats it is
contesting.
With the aim to get a majority in the Council, State BJP strongman and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had openly sought JD(S)’ support for BJP candidates in the seats where the regional party is not contesting. However, amid buzz about a possible pact with the ruling BJP, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy recently said that local leaders have been authorised to take a decision on whom to support in the seats where his party is not contesting, keeping in mind the prospects for the 2023 assembly election.