Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, May 15: In another shock for the Congress in Mangaluru City North constituency where B A Mohiuddin Bava of the Congress has been defeated by BJP's Bharath Shetty. BJP candidate Shetty secured 39372 followed by Bava with 27932. Meanwhile Muneer Kaatipalla of the CPIM secured 880.
Bava conceding the defeat said that he lost only due to Hindutva wave. "BJP polarised the votes in the name of religion and caste. They got success in their agenda. They hijacked the development works which I had done for my constituency by Hindutva. There were no issues in the Congress since we fought unitedly."
Meanwhile BJP has won Sullia, Moodbidiri seats. S. Angara of the BJP managed to retain his Sullia seat for the sixth consecutive time. S Angara secured 28301 while Dr Raghu from the Congress garnered 22236 votes. Raghu of the BSP has secured only 432 votes.
Counting of votes is being held at Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Higher Primary School, Bondel (Belthangady, Moodbidri and Mangaluru North) and Mahatma Gandhi Centenary PU College, Bondel (Mangaluru South, Mangaluru, Bantwal, Puttur and Sullia).
The Bharatiya Janatha Party opened its account in the crucial assembly elections with its Candidate from Moodbdri constituency Umanath Kotian won by more than 22,000 votes by defeating his rival Abhaya Chandra Jain of Congress. Umanath Kotian secured 51351 votes followed by Abhaychandra Jain with 31371 votes.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has retained the Ullal Assembly Constituency seat with its candidate U T Khader winning the assembly election. He defeated his nearest BJP rival Santhosh Kumar Rai by 35,594 votes. Santhosh Rai Boliyar secured 20561 votes followed by K Ashraf from the JD(S) who secured 2028 votes.
Leads put out by the Election Commission of India on the Karnataka Assembly results show BJP ahead of Congress with 81 seats to the incumbent government’s 48, while the JD(S) is definitely emerging as an important third factor with 36 seats.
Counting of Karnataka votes began sharp at 8 am on Tuesday, May 15.
Counting is on in 222 constituencies of the 224-seat Assembly. Voting was not held in two seats. Any party that touches 112 will get the clean majority to form government.