Bengaluru, Nov 10 (IANS): Ruling BJP and opposition Congress are leading in two each of the 4 Karnataka Legislative Council seats from the Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies in the southern state, a poll official said on Tuesday.
According to initial trends, RM Kuberappa of Congress is leading in West Graduates, Chidanand Gowda of BJP in South-East Graduates, Shashil Namoshi of BJP in North-East Teachers and Praveen Kumar of Congress in Bangalore Teachers contituencies.
Namoshi had won the seat twice earlier.
Voting in the biennial elections to the 4 seats was held on October 28 after the terms of the members ended in June.
The by-elections could not be held in July due to the Covid pandemic.
In West Graduates constituency, 70.11 per cent voting was recorded, in South-East Graduates 75 per cent, in North-East Teachers 73.32 per cent, and in Bangalore Teachers 66 per cent.
In all, 40 candidates from the BJP, Congress, Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Independents contested the 4 seats.
Of the retired candidates, R Chowda Reddy Thoopalli of JD-S re-contested from South-East Graduates, SV Sankanur of BJP from West Graduates, Sharanappa Mattur of Congress from North-East Teachers, and Puttanna of BJP from Bangalore Teachers constituencies.
Sankanur and Shivashankar Kallur of JD-S are trailing in West Graduates, Ramesh Babu of Congress and Thoopalli in South East Graduates, Mattur and Timmayya Purle of JD-S in North East Teachers, and Puttanna and AP Ranganatha in Bangalore Teachers constituencies.
For South-East Graduates seat, 15 candidates are in fray, including BJP rebels DT Srinivasa and Haraluru Lepakshi.
In West Graduates, 11 candidates are in the electoral battle and in North-East Teachers, five nominees that include Vatal Nagaraj, president of regional outfit Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha.
Nine candidates are in fray in Bangalore Teachers seat.
In all, 2,34,718 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in 549 polling booths across the 4 constituencies.
Of the 75 Council seats, 25 are elected from the Assembly, 25 from local bodies across the state, 7 each from Graduates and Teachers constituencies, and 11 nominated by the Governor on the recommendation of the Chief Minister or the Cabinet.
In the 75-member Council, the BJP has 28 seats, Congress 27, JD-S 14, apart from 1 independent and 1 Chairman, while 4 seats are vacant.