Karnataka MLC Result 2026 NDA Wins 3 Seats 5-Time MLC Puttanna Loses

Karnataka MLC Election Results 2026 have delivered a major shock to the Congress party. The results for the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, declared on 28th October 2026, show a clean sweep by the NDA alliance. The BJP and JD(S) have won two seats and are leading in two more, while the Congress has failed to open its account.

The biggest upset came from the Bengaluru Teachers Constituency, where five-time MLC Puttanna suffered a humiliating defeat.

Bengaluru Teachers Constituency - Biggest Upset

In a major setback for Congress, NDA candidate A P Ranganath won the Bengaluru Teachers seat. Ranganath, who contested on a JD(S) ticket as part of the NDA alliance, secured 10,810 votes.

He defeated Congress candidate Puttanna, who got 9,902 votes. The winning margin was 908 votes.

This was personal revenge for Ranganath. He had lost to Puttanna twice before — in 2020 when Puttanna was in the BJP and in the 2024 by-election when Puttanna had moved to Congress. This time, on his third attempt, Ranganath finally defeated the veteran leader.

Puttanna is a big name in Karnataka teachers' politics. He entered politics from the JD(S) and won the same constituency for three terms. He later joined the BJP and then the Congress. His defeat shows that teachers are now shifting towards the NDA alliance.

North-East Teachers Constituency - BJP Retains Kharge's Turf

In the second major result, BJP's incumbent MLC Shashil G Namoshi retained the Karnataka North-East Teachers constituency. This constituency falls in the Kalaburagi region, which is the home turf of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Namoshi secured 15,596 votes against Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur, who got 12,299 votes. The margin was 3,297 votes.

This is a big embarrassment for Congress because they could not win even in Kharge's own district. BJP leaders said that this victory is due to the unity of BJP and JD(S) workers on the ground.

West Graduates Constituency - BJP Takes Big Lead

In the Karnataka West Graduates Constituency, BJP candidate S V Sankanur is leading by a huge margin. After the second round of counting, Sankanur had secured 12,613 votes against Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai, who got 9,057 votes.

The lead of 3,556 votes is almost unassailable, and the BJP is expected to win this seat as well. Counting was held at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad and continued till late at night.

What Did NDA Leaders Say?

After the victory, R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, said, "This is not just a victory for an individual candidate, it is a victory for the unity of the alliance partners.

A P Ranganath, who is an advocate and head of the JD(S) legal wing, thanked both BJP and JD(S) leaders and workers for their support.

Why Did Congress Lose?

Political analysts say there are three reasons for the Congress defeat:

First, the internal fight within the Karnataka Congress. The groups of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar are fighting among themselves.

Second, the NDA alliance of BJP and JD(S) is working well on the ground. Their combined vote share is more than that of Congress.

Third, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls reduced 99.32 lakh voters from the list. The final roll has 4.55 crore electors, down from 5.54 crore. Many of these were Congress supporters.

What Next?

With this result, the NDA's strength in the Karnataka Legislative Council will increase. This will help them challenge the Congress government in the Upper House.

For Congress, this is a warning sign before the 2028 Assembly elections. If they do not set their house in order, they may face a bigger defeat.

The Karnataka MLC Results 2026 clearly show that the BJP-JD(S) alliance is back in the game in Karnataka politics.