Vijayendra cornered, Kumaraswamy shaken: Why MLC poll has NDA rattled

The result of the Karnataka Legislative Council elections held on Thursday (June 18) has exposed deep fault lines in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partnership between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) and raised questions about the authority of B Y Vijayendra, the state president of the saffron party.

While the BJP saw its official candidates winning the elections, widespread cross-voting by party legislators embarrassed the leadership and hurt its mutual trust with the JD(S).

The opposition crash-landed when they were to take off

While the upper chamber elections were expected to demonstrate the allies’ strength at a time when a fresh Congress government under Chief Minister D K Shivakumar faced initial troubles, the results proved to be counter-productive, exposing the two opposition parties’ lack of coordination, poor management of votes and growing dissatisfaction among their MLAs.

Also read: Karnataka MLC polls: DK Shivakumar calls the shots, leaves BJP, JD-S in tatters

The outcome in the council elections has also rattled the opposition ahead of key political battles in the years ahead, including the 2028 state polls and the 2029 general elections.

Both BJP candidates win but yet concerns remained

Although both the candidates picked by the BJP — Raghu Kautilya and Lingaraj Patil — won, neither of them could get 30 votes, something their party had hoped. Kautilya received 29 votes while Patil ended up with 27.

Their votes indicated that at least five BJP legislators cross-voted in favour of the Congress. Besides, two votes expected to be transferred to the JD(S) also got diverted.

The setback was worse for the JDS. The party fielded its candidate, believing that the BJP would transfer surplus votes and that a few Congress legislators might also cross-vote in its favour. However, it didn’t go as per the calculations. Its candidate in the poll, Govindaraju, received a paltry 14 votes, four less than 18, the JD(S)'s members in the Assembly, which means four MLAs didn't toe the party's line.

As a result, the Congress not only secured its fifth seat but also exposed the inability of both opposition alliance partners to enforce discipline among their elected representatives.

Kumaraswamy upset with state BJP

Union Minister and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had personally pushed for the alliance to field a third NDA candidate. The move was made after discussions with BJP leaders and was viewed as a test of NDA unity in Karnataka.

Sources indicate that Kumaraswamy was deeply upset over the manner in which the election unfolded. While the JD(S)’s leadership expected a solid backing from BJP legislators, many of those votes never reached the alliance candidates.

Also read: Shivakumar has inherited a 'broken-down lorry' from Siddaramaiah: Ashoka

Internally, JDS leaders believe that the BJP transferred only two votes to their candidate and that even those were not among the assured ones promised during discussions. The JD(S) leadership was also shocked to discover that some of its own legislators may have cross-voted.

'Vijayendra did not reach out'

One of the sources close to the party told The Federal that several senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, contacted Kumaraswamy after the results and expressed concern over the developments. However, Vijayendra reportedly kept himself at a distance.

“Many BJP leaders called Kumaraswamy and shared their disappointment over what happened. But Vijayendra did not reach out. This has created an impression that there is a communication gap between the JDS leadership and the Karnataka BJP leadership,” it said.

One JD(S) leader told this website that several incidents proved that there was a visible lack of coordination between the BJP and JDS workers on the ground. “The latest developments suggest that this gap has now widened to the leadership level as well,” he said.

Ties between the JD(S) and the BJP may see rough days ahead after the council elections, even though Kumaraswamy continues to share cordial ties with the saffron party’s national leadership.

For Vijayendra, the controversy comes at a sensitive time. A senior BJP functionary told The Federal that the election outcome has become a direct embarrassment for both him and R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. While the party officially won its seats, the inability to prevent cross-voting has strengthened criticism from rival factions within the BJP.

Vijayendra's authority questioned

Vijayendra became state BJP president largely on the strength of the political influence of his father, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa. Since his appointment, several leaders within the BJP have privately questioned whether he commands enough authority across different factions of the party.

Also read: Will Karnataka’s Chief Minister DK Shivakumar hurt or heal Bengaluru?

Party insiders believe the voting pattern in the MLC polls demonstrates that Vijayendra lacks effective control over legislators. The fact that BJP MLAs ignored official instructions despite repeated meetings and whip-like directions has raised concerns about the local leadership's ability to manage the party ahead of future elections.

The incident has also revived demands from some factions seeking a change in leadership. Though no leader has openly challenged Vijayendra yet, discussions about organisational restructuring have intensified following the election.

BJP central leadership takes note

The BJP central leadership has reportedly taken serious note of the developments. Party leaders in New Delhi view the cross-voting not merely as an electoral setback but as a sign of deeper organisational problems within the Karnataka unit. The inability to transfer votes effectively to an alliance partner has further embarrassed the party because it reflects poorly on the NDA's coordination.

BJP president Nitin Nabin has already summoned the Karnataka BJP president and some other leaders to New Delhi over the cross-voting incident. They will meet on June 23.

Vijayendra has already announced that he will submit a detailed report to the BJP national leadership. He said the party possesses information about those responsible for the cross-voting and assured workers that disciplinary action would follow.

“We know who played this game. Anybody who won on a BJP ticket and indulged in such activities will be taught a lesson. There is a limit to everything,” Vijayendra said.

Also read: D-day for DK Shivakumar: After years of political wrangling, the dream job

He also acknowledged that the results had caused disappointment among party workers and leaders. Ashoka similarly warned that legislators who betrayed the party would be identified and action would be taken against them.

For now, the biggest challenge before the BJP is not the Congress but the growing dissatisfaction within its own ranks. The MLC election has transformed what should have been a routine legislative contest into a leadership test for Vijayendra.

The coming weeks will reveal whether the Karnataka BJP president can regain control over the party and repair the damage caused to the BJP-JDS alliance, or the cross-voting episode will mark the beginning of a larger political crisis within the NDA in Karnataka.