BJP, JD-S win Karnataka bypolls, Congress comes third (Second Lead, superseding earlier story)
By IANSThursday, September 16, 2010
BANGALORE - The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Thursday bagged one seat each in two Karnataka bypolls, but the Congress drew a blank, continuing its dismal electoral run in the state.
The BJP snatched the Kadur seat in Chikmagalur district from the Congress but conceded Gulbarga South in Gulbarga to the JD-S.
The Congress came third in both the seats, prompting Leader of Opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah and other state leaders to step down, owning moral responsibility for the defeat of both party nominees.
The JD-S scored an upset win in Gulbarga South when Aruna Patil Revoor, the widow of Revoor, the sitting BJP assembly member whose death necessitated the bypoll, rode home on the voters’ sympathy and their sense of “BJP’s betrayal” in denying her the party nomination.
Aruna defeated her nearest rival, senior BJP state leader and legislative council member Sashil Namoshi by 3,532 votes. She polled 39,430 votes to Namoshi’s 35,898. Congress candidate Ajay Singh, son of former chief minister N. Dharam Singh, came third getting 35,567 votes. Over 115,000 of the 210,000 eligible voters had cast their ballots.
The BJP won the Kadur seat in Chikmagalur district where the sympathy factor did not work for Congress nominee K.M. Kemparaju, brother of K.M. Krishnamurhty whose death brought about the bypoll.
BJP nominee Y.C. Vishwanath, a medical practitioner in the area, defeated his nearest rival, JD-S spokesperson and legislative council member Y.S.V. Datta, by 13,897 votes.
Of the over 125,000 votes polled out of the around 177,000 eligible voters, Vishwanath bagged 55,796 ballots, Datta 41,899 and Kemparaju 30,330.
The by-poll results are a severe blow to the Congress, whose dismal show in all elections continues since the 2008 assembly polls. Those elections brought the BJP to power for the first time in Karnataka and south India.
The loss in Gulbarga South is a major jolt to Dharam Singh and union Labour Minister Mallikharjun Kharge, considered the tallest Congress leaders in Gulbarga district.
Siddaramaiah told reporters he has sent the resignation letter to party president Sonia Gandhi and there will not be any change in his decision to step down.
State Congress chief R. V. Deshpande, whose term has ended, said he too owned responsibility for the poor performance of the pary and has written to Sonia Gandhi to relieve him of the post at the earliest. The state unit has already left it to her to name a new head.
Working president D.K. Shivakumar said all leaders have to accept responsibility for the defeat and he too will quit.
The campaign for the two by-polls, for which voting took place on Sep 13, was dominated by the illegal mining issue with the parties blaming one another for encouraging it.
