In an embarrassment to the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections for four seats from Karnataka on Tuesday, one of its legislators cross-voted in favour of the Congress while another one did not turn up for polling — both defying the party’s whip — even as the Congress retained three seats and the BJP retained one. The Janata Dal (Secular), which had fielded its candidate, lost the election as it could not muster enough support.
Congress members — the former Union Minister Ajay Maken, Syed Naseer Hussein, and G.C. Chandrashekar — and BJP candidate Narayansa K. Bhandage were declared elected on Tuesday evening. One of the richest politicians in the State and former Rajya Sabha member Kupendra Reddy of the JD(S), who was vying with Mr. Chandrashekar for the fourth seat, lost. This is his second loss in the Rajya Sabha elections after the 2022 defeat. This is also the second electoral setback for the NDA partners as they had earlier last week lost the byelection to the Legislative Council from the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency.
