Congress Announces Four Candidates for Karnataka Legislative Council Polls

Bengaluru, June 2026 : The Congress on Wednesday announced its candidates for four of the seven vacancies in the Karnataka Legislative Council that are scheduled to be filled through elections later this month. The party’s list, released by the All India Congress Committee (AICC), includes B.K. Hariprasad, P.V. Mohan, Shivanna Malavalli and Tippannappa Kamakanur.

The selection of candidates has attracted political attention as the Congress has chosen leaders from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community for all four seats. Political observers view the move as a significant social and electoral strategy by the party ahead of future political contests in the state.

Among the candidates, B.K. Hariprasad and Tippannappa Kamakanur have been renominated and are set to seek another term in the Upper House of the Karnataka Legislature. At the same time, the Congress has introduced two new faces — P.V. Mohan and Shivanna Malavalli — reflecting a balance between continuity and fresh representation within the party.

Hariprasad’s candidature is particularly noteworthy as he was recently appointed President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), making him one of the party’s most prominent leaders in the state.

The four Congress nominees will be elected to the Legislative Council by members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The elections have been notified to fill seven seats that are falling vacant due to the retirement of sitting Council members.

The vacancies have arisen following the completion of the terms of Govindaraju, Naseer Ahmed, Tippannappa Kamakanur and B.K. Hariprasad from the Congress, as well as M.T.B. Nagaraj, Pratap Simha Nayak and Sunil Valyapure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The election notification was issued on Monday by Karnataka Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer M.K. Vishalakshi. As per the schedule, June 8 has been fixed as the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 9, while candidates will have until June 11 to withdraw their nominations.

If the elections become necessary, voting will be conducted on June 18 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. in Room No. 106 of the Vidhana Soudha. Counting of votes will begin at 5 p.m. on the same day, and the entire election process is expected to be completed by June 20.

The Congress’ decision to field four OBC candidates is being seen as a clear message about the party’s commitment to social representation and its efforts to consolidate support among backward communities. With the announcement of candidates, the focus now shifts to the nomination process and the final outcome of the Legislative Council elections.