Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 2: In the midst of the coronavirus second wave, bypolls were held for three constituencies in Karnataka. They were Belagavi Lok Sabha constituecy, Maski assembly constituency in Raichur, and Basavakalyan in Bidar district. Political future of 30 candidates will be decided at the end of the exercise of counting of votes which was taken up today morning. The counting of votes began at 8 am. The results are likely to come out by afternoon.

After 88 rounds of counting in Belagavi during which fortunes continued to fluctuate, BJP candidate Mangala Angadi secured a lead with 4,35,202 votes and won the election, while Congress candidate Satish Jarkiholi, who was leading for a few rounds, trailed behind with 4,32,299 votes. The margin rose to about 2,903 in favour of BJP.

In Maski assembly constituency, Congress candidate Basanagouda Patil is leading with 35,901 votes while BJP candidate Pratapgouda Patil has secured 22,914 votes after 11 rounds of counting. As per sources, the BJP candidate walked out of the counting centre after accepting defeat.

In Basavakalyan constituency, BJP candidate Sharanu Salagar won by a margin of 20,904 votes. He garnered 70,556 votes as against Congress candidate Mala Narayana Rao who has secured 50,108 votes after 18 rounds of counting. JD(S) candidate Syed Ali has secured 11,390 votes. 

Basanagouda Patil Turvihal, Mangala Angadi, Sharanu Salagar

Speaking to reporters after he came to know of the result, the BJP candidate said he had assumed that he would win. "I have been betrayed. The people have proved that development and being good are not important for them," he stated.

Patil also said that the people have acted for a change and chosen Basavanagouda Turvihal. He wished all the best for the people of the constituency. He also said that when the people had decided in advance to defeat him, no one and any amount of campaigning will not have any effect. He however said he will continue to work for the people of the constituency as a party activist.

Belagavi Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Belagavi MP and union minister, Suresh Angadi, passed away due to COVID 1. Congress MLA from Basavakalyan, B Narayana Rao, also had succumbed to coronavirus infection. Pratapagouda Patil , MLA of Maski, had crossed to the BJP from the Congress and therefore became disqualified. The bypolls were held on march 17.

In Belagavi, the BJP has fielded Mangala Angadi, widow of the late Suresh Angadi. Congress has fielded Satish Jarkiholi. The major fight is between these two candidates.

In Maski, Pratapagouda Patil from the BJP and Basanagouda Patil Turvihal of Congress are fighting it out. These two had fought from different parties the last time they faced each other. A keen tussle is expected here.

Basavakalyan bypoll result has become unpredictable as Sharanu Salagar from the BJP is facing opposition from within from people who say he is an outsider. Mala B from the Congress may lose the suipport of traditional Congress Muslim votebank because of the presence of a Muslim candidate of the JD(S). At the same time, Mallikarjun Khooba, former BJP MLA, has entered the fray to challenge the BJP candidate. Therefore this constituency has opened up lot of possibilities.

Of 6,435 postal ballots issued for absentee voters in Belagavi, 5,831 were received, while 1,176 were issued in Basavakalyan, 983 were received and 273 were issued in Maski and 246 were received.

Of 18,13,567 electorate in Belagavi, 10,16,025 voted, resulting in 56.02 per cent polling.

Of 2,39,782 electorate in Basavakalyan, 1,47,647 voted, resulting in 61.58 per cent polling.

Of 2,06,429 electorate in Maski, 1,45,458 voted, resulting in 70.40 per cent polling.

In all, 30 candidates, including 10 in Belagavi, 12 in Basavakalyan and 8 in Maski contested. Of them, 26 are men and 4 women.

There are also 5 Independents each in Belagavi and Maski and 4 in Basavakalyan.

The by-elections were held to fill vacancies caused by the death of Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi and BJP member in Belagavi and death of Congress legislator B. Narayan Rao in Basavakalyan and due to the disqualification of Pratapgouda Patil in Maski.

Angadi, a four-time Lok Sabha member from the region, died due to Covid on September 23, 2020 in New Delhi, while Rao also died due to the infection on September 24, 2020 in Bengaluru.

In Belagavi, BJP fielded Mangala, widow of Angadi to retain the seat while Congress fielded Mallamma, widow of Rao to retain Basavakalyan.

Congress fielded its state unit working president and sugar baron Satish Jarkiholi against Mangala.

Satish, 58, is a legislator from the Yemakanmardi assembly seat in the border district of the state.

Satish is also the younger brother of BJP's tainted former state minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is embroiled in the sleaze CD that has rocked the state recently.

Patil, who defected to BJP from Congress in November 2019, has re-contested to retain Maski on the lotus symbol.

Though the opposition Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) did not contest in Belagavi and Maski, it fielded Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri in Basavakalyan, while BJP fielded Sharanu Salagar to wrest the seat from Congress.