DHNS
Bangalore, Nov 4: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka on Monday won all the three Legislative Council seats in the by-polls defeating the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular combine.
The voting took place on October 31 in Kodagu, Belgaum and Dharwad districts. BJP’s S G Medappa (Kodagu), Shashikant Naik (Belgaum) and Shivaraj Sajjannar (Dharwad) defeated their Congress rivals backed by JDS.
The Congress and JDS joined hands to defeat, what they described as, “communal forces” but the BJP candidates won with comfortable margins.
A triumphant B S Yeddyurappa, BJP’s first chief minister in south India, described the victory of the party candidates as a referendum on his government’s performance.
The by-polls followed resignation by the Council members who won the May Assembly elections. Of the three seats, Kodagu was held by an independent, Belgaum by JDS and Dharwad by Janata Dal (United).
Strengthened
With Monday’s win BJP’s strength in the 75-member House goes up to 26. Congress is the largest party with 29 members. JDS strength is reduced by one to 12. Two seats are vacant and the remaining are shared by smaller parties and nominated members.
Dharwad result
Mr Shivaraj Sajjannar won the election from the local bodies constituency from the undivided Dharwad district, the counting of votes for which was held here on Monday. The by-election was necessitated following resignation of Basavaraj Bommai, who got elected in the recently held Assembly elections from Shiggaon.
Sajjannar defeated his nearest rival Srinivas Mane (Cong) by a margin of 655 votes. Of the 7,338 voters, 7,296 voters exercised their franchise. Of them, while Sajjannar polled 3,812 votes, Mane polled 3,157 votes.
Independent candidate Chandragouda Shivangouda Bhoomangoudar polled 72 votes. Of the votes polled, 255 votes were rejected.
The counting, which was spread over 15 tables at the Karnatak College here, was over in the first round. Sajjannar maintained a lead throughout. The counting began at 8 am and was over by 12 noon.
In Belgaum
BJP nominee Shashikant Naik won from Belgaum, defeating his nearest rival S C Malagi (Cong) by a margin of 1,418 preferential votes in a straight fight. The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Satish Jarkiholi, who got elected in the recent Assembly election.
The counting process began at 8 am and actual counting began around 11.45 am on 14 tables. Of the 9,053 votes polled, Naik secured 4,958 votes, while Malagi secured 3,540 votes and 555 votes were invalid.
Soon after the declaration of the result, BJP workers led by Minister Umesh Katti, Members of Parliament Suresh Angadi and Prabhakar Kore, besides legislators celebrated ‘Vijayotsava’.
In Kodagu
S G Medappa defeated Congress nominee B G Mittu Chengappa by a margin of 173 votes.
Out of the total 1,385 votes polled, Medappa secured 751 votes while Mr Mittu Chengappa managed to poll 578 votes. Independent candidate secured only 11 votes and 45 votes were rejected. In fact, the BJP won the local bodies polls for the first time, setting a record. The by-poll was necessitated following the resignation of C S Arun Machaiah.
This win by BJP is a severe setback to the Congress-JDS as the BJP had won both the Assembly seats of Kodagu in the recent polls.
The counting of votes was completed by 9.45 am. However, the results were declared only at 11 am as the Election Commission had to grant permission.
As the results were officially announced, BJP activists burst crackers and distributed sweets. Later, Medappa was taken in a procession.
Vindication
Terming the victory as affirmation of confidence reposed by local bodies in the policies of the government, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa disclosed that his administration will take steps to strength the local bodies in future.
“In spite of the principal opposition parties -- Congress and Janata Dal-Secular --fielding joint candidates, we have won with handsome margin,” Yeddyurappa said in Bellary. He was there for the inauguration of the Bellary thermal power plant by BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani.