Karnataka bypolls: BJP will need to win at least six of the 15 seats to retain majority.
Karnataka bypolls will take place on 15 of the 17 seats on December 5, including the seats left vacant by former Congress and JDS MLAs whose resignations led to the fall of the fragile Congress-JDS coalition government. The two parties have grown apart since that controversial episode and will fight the bypolls separately. Currently, the BJP enjoys a slim majority in the Karnataka Assembly and has the support of 106 MLAs in the 224-member house, while the Congress-JDS opposition has 101. This means the ruling party will need to win at least six of the 15 seats being contested to retain its majority. Karnataka bypoll election result will be declared on December 9.
A look at some of the quick facts on Karnataka bypolls:
Karnataka bypolls date: December 5, Thursday
Karnataka by-election result date: December 9, Monday
Karntaka bypoll constituencies:
- Athani
- Kagwad
- Gokak
- Yellapura
- Hirekerur
- Ranibennur
- Vijaynagara
- Chickballapura
- KR Pura
- Yeshwanthpura
- Mahalakshmi Layout
- Shivajinagara
- Hosakote
- KR Pete
- Hunsur
Total number of candidates for Karnataka bypolls: 165, including 126 Independents and 9 women
The Karnataka bypolls became necessary after sitting MLAs resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition government. The election will see the former allies contest separately against the BJP. The MLAs who quit were subsequently disqualified by then-Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and barred from elections till 2023. However, last week the Supreme Court, while upholding the disqualification, said they could contest.