MLC polls: 7 elected unopposed; BJP now has majority

Legislative Assembly secretary MK Vishalakshi on Friday declared seven MLC candidates as “elected unopposed” to the upper house.

Four of them are from the BJP, which gives the saffron party a simple majority in the Legislative Council.

BJP's Laxman Savadi, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Hemalatha Nayak and S Keshavaprasad, Congress' K Abdul Jabbar and M Nagaraju Yadav and TA Sharavana from the JD(S) were declared as elected unopposed. As a result, elections scheduled to be held on June 3 will not take place.

Friday was the last day for candidates to withdraw their nominations. None did, and Vishalakshi handed out election certificates to all seven candidates.

The 75-member Legislative Council now has 39 BJP members, 25 Congress and nine JD(S). This is excluding one Independent member and the chairperson.

All three parties will look to increase their tally in the June 13 elections to the four seats from the teachers' and graduates' constituencies.