Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 15: B Ramanath Rai, who was touted to win the Bantwal seat for Congress, has lost the election to BJP's Rajesh Naik.

After 17 out of 18 rounds of counting, Rajesh Naik was ahead with 93815 votes while Rai was behind by 78128 votes.

Rajesh Naik soon after the results, said that the mandate was agiainst the Siddaramaiah government. "For the last five years as a common BJP workers I have worked in my constituency of Bantwal. People accepted my service and decided to send me to the state assembly as their representative."

"Also this is a victory of the BJP workers of Bantwal for their hardwork," he added.

When Ramanath Rai came to the counting centre, jubilant BJP workers who had gathered in large numbers gheraoed Rai's car and chanted 'Modi, Modi', hailing the Prime Minister. The BJP supporters threw bottles at Rai's car and shouted slogans in support of Modi. The police intervened and took the sitution under control, after which Rai's car was able to pass.

As of now, the BJP in Dakshina Kannada has won five seats from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2018 Assembly elections the results of which were declared today on May 15. BJP's Bharath Shetty won from Mangaluru North, Umanath Kotian from Moodbdri constituency, S. Angara from Sullia and Sanjeev Mathandur from Puttur.

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.

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).

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.