Resort politics returns in Karnataka as council election sparks number game

Bengaluru: Luxury resorts on the city's outskirts are back in business as political nerve centres. With a fierce numbers game brewing over a single seat in the June 18 legislative council election, the governing Congress and opposition JD(S) have tucked away their legislators in private properties to guard against cross-voting and absenteeism.What should have been a routine poll for seven Upper House seats has turned into a political thriller. The script changed the moment JD(S), led by Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, jumped into the fray for the critical seventh seat, upsetting Congress calculations.Eight candidates are fighting for seven seats, and each needs a minimum of 28 votes from MLAs to win. Based on current strength in the 224-member assembly, Congress (134 MLAs) can comfortably win four seats, while BJP (62 MLAs) can bag two.The real battle is for the final seat. After electing four candidates, Congress will have a surplus of 22 votes, leaving it six short of a fifth victory. On the other hand, JD(S) has 18 MLAs. Even if it gets all six surplus votes from its alliance partner BJP, it will still fall four votes short of the magic number. Both sides are now aggressively wooing independents, smaller parties, and unattached MLAs.The high-stakes battle places chief minister DK Shivakumar at the centre of the storm, as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meets at a resort in Bidadi, Bengaluru South, Tuesday, two days before the polls. While a win will cement his reputation as a master strategist, a loss would hand Kumaraswamy a massive political victory.While the opposition mocks the governing party for lacking confidence in its own flock, Congress functionaries maintain the resort stay is purely a strategy and training exercise.Public works department minister Satish Jarkiholi defended the move, saying the meeting was held to train MLAs. "MLAs should not make mistakes while voting. Even two or three invalid votes can result in a candidate losing. The meeting is aimed at ensuring preparedness, security and strategy," he said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.