The Bengaluru teachers constituency election count moved into a close contest on October 27, with Janata Dal (Secular) candidate A.P. Ranganath leading Congress candidate Puttanna by 140 votes after two rounds of counting. One round remained before the result could be declared.
The counting was under way at the Arts College centre in Bengaluru, where Congress and BJP–JD(S) workers had gathered near the venue while awaiting the outcome. The contest involves six candidates seeking election to the Karnataka Legislative Council from the Bengaluru Teachers Constituency.
The lead changed between the first two rounds. After 7,000 votes were counted in the first round, Puttanna was ahead of Ranganath by 224 votes. In the second round, Ranganath gained ground and established a lead of 361 votes, leaving him 140 votes ahead overall according to the latest update from the counting process.
The remaining third round is expected to determine whether Ranganath holds his advantage or whether Puttanna can regain the lead. The report did not provide the total number of votes counted after the second round or the number of votes still pending.
The election is part of a wider set of Karnataka Legislative Council contests being counted. The Western Graduates Constituency has 14 candidates, including BJP’s S.V. Sankanur and Congress’s Mohan Limbikai. The North-Eastern Teachers Constituency has 13 candidates, including BJP’s Shashil G. Namoshi and Congress’s Sharanappa Mattur.
The South-Eastern Graduates Constituency has 10 candidates, including Congress’s Shashi Hulakuntimath and BJP’s K.M. Suresh. Counting for that constituency began late, and the result was expected to be announced late at night, according to the report.
The Bengaluru Teachers Constituency result will decide which candidate represents the constituency in the Legislative Council. The counting centre remained the focus of activity as party workers waited for the final round and the formal declaration of the result.
