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Karnataka Defection Politics: Will 25 Congress MLAs Join BJP?
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News18•14-10-2026, 16:03
Karnataka Defection Politics: Will 25 Congress MLAs Join BJP?
- •Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra claimed that 25 Congress MLAs, including cabinet ministers, are ready to join the BJP.
- •The claim comes amid internal Congress controversies, power struggles, and a recent sting operation controversy within the ruling party.
- •Karnataka's political history shows that defections are a two-way street, with both the BJP and Congress experiencing mass exits and rebellions over the years.
- •Recent MLC election results raised questions about cross-voting within the BJP-JD(S) camp, as the Congress secured more votes than its expected strength.
Key Questions Answered
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed BY Vijayendra's claim and challenged the BJP state president to induct the alleged 25 defecting Congress legislators into his party without any delay.
The 14-month-old coalition government led by H.D. Kumaraswamy collapsed after seventeen legislators from the Congress and JD(S) rebelled and resigned in 2019, with sixteen of those rebels subsequently joining the BJP.
The Congress won five out of the seven seats in the June 2026 Legislative Council elections, securing 151 votes against an expected strength of around 140, while the BJP won two seats and the JD(S) failed to win its contested seat.
