DK Shivakumar Trains Congress MLAs at Bengaluru Resort Ahead of Council Elections

The Congress legislature party, led by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, convened a meeting on Tuesday at a private resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru to train its MLAs ahead of the upcoming legislative council elections. The primary objective of the session was to instruct approximately 40 first-time Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on the correct voting procedures to ensure no votes are invalidated.

The training comes as the party prepares for a highly competitive election. The Congress has fielded five candidates for the legislative council. However, a tight contest is anticipated with the JD(S) for the fifth seat, as both political parties currently lack the necessary numbers to secure a clear victory for that specific seat.

To prevent any errors during the polling process, the party leadership decided to conduct the hands-on training. A Congress functionary noted that the session was organized specifically to safeguard every single ballot. "In order to ensure that no vote is wasted, the party is holding the training for the legislators," the functionary said.

In addition to the voting tutorial, the gathering at the resort served as the first formal "meet and greet" between Chief Minister Shivakumar and his legislative colleagues since he officially assumed charge of the state government.

Following the conclusion of the meeting, there was some ambiguity regarding the accommodation plans for the attending legislators. Party MLAs indicated that it was unclear whether the entire group would remain at the resort or if only a select few would stay.

Party leaders and functionaries suggested that while some of the outstation MLAs were expected to stay overnight at the resort, other legislators from Bengaluru might choose to return to their private residences. However, sources within the party indicated that certain MLAs who are deemed doubtful or who might be susceptible to cross-voting could be instructed to remain at the resort to prevent any external influence.

In preparation for the high-profile political gathering and the arrival of various VVIPs, the resort management cancelled all previous public bookings for the venue.