The NDA alliance won five out of seven seats in the Karnataka Vidhan Sabha by-elections on Saturday, including a surprise victory in the Chamundeshwari constituency that had been held by the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance since 2023. The results significantly bolster the BJP opposition in the state assembly and raise questions about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah government mid-term performance. BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra called the result a referendum against the ruling coalition and a signal that Karnataka is ready for a BJP government again.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the by-election results as a normal mid-term correction and said the Congress-JD(S) government would complete its full term with a strong development agenda. Political analysts noted that by-elections in Karnataka have historically swung against the ruling party, making straight-line extrapolation to the next state election unreliable. The Congress won the remaining two seats, holding its key fortress constituencies. The NDA now holds 87 seats in the 224-member assembly, still well short of the majority mark of 113 required to form a government.