Clear majority continues to elude Congress in Legislative Council of Karnataka

Legislative Council sources told The Hindu that though the Congress will be tantalisingly close to achieving the crucial majority in the Upper House in January 2025, it will fall short by one vote.

As the winter session of the Karnataka legislature is set to commence on December 9, a clear majority continues to elude the Congress government, despite retirements and resignation resulting in three vacancies in the Upper House. Though the Congress is inching towards attaining majority in the Legislative Council with the balance tilting in its favour, it will not be able to push its bills through without hassles, and the lone independent member could hold the key.

Currently, the strength of the ruling Congress and opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) remains almost equal with the lone independent Lakhan Jarkiholi, a former BJP leader from Belagavi, becoming crucial to party equations in the council.

In the 75-member Upper House, Congress has 33 members, BJP has 29, and the JD(S) has eight members. The seat matrix will not change for the winter session since the Congress government is yet to nominate its candidates for the three vacant seats.

With a lack of majority, the Congress, which came to power in May 2023, failed to get the Temple Management Bill and Souharda Cooperative Amendment Bill passed in the Council in the past one year. Some crucial bills, including anti-conversion act and cow slaughter act, to which amendments were promised in the Congress manifesto, have not been moved for want of majority.

With the term of two members – U.B. Venkatesh and Prakash Rathod of Congress – expiring, and resignation of Channapatna MLA C.P. Yogeshwar, three vacancies have arisen in the nominated category. Besides, the term of another nominated member from JD(S) K.A. Thippeswamy is coming to an end on January 27, 2025. A total of four nominated seats will be available for the Congress government by the end of January 2025, which will take its strength to 37.

The next big window for Congress could be in June 2026, when seven members will retire while the term of five members (including the one seat currently vacant) nominated by the government will come to an end on July 21, 2026. Earlier in July, when elections to three graduates’ constituencies and teachers’ constituencies, respectively, were held, Congress managed to win three seats while JD(S) won two seats and the BJP one seat.

Legislative Council sources told The Hindu that though the Congress will be tantalisingly close to achieving the crucial majority in the Upper House, it will fall short by one vote.