In what comes as a shocker for BJP, Congress has established a steady lead of 4-1 in the Karnataka bypolls. The Congress-JD(S) coalition has scored a massive victory in the state that BJP is considered to have had a stronghold over. The Congress has scored three Lok Sabha seats and two assembly constituencies, including the Ballari Lok Sabha seat, which was dominated by mining barons, Reddy brothers.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Anitha Kumaraswamy, the wife of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, has won the Ramanagara assembly seat with a whopping margin of 1,09,137. Her BJP rival, L Chandrashekar had pulled out but continued to be the party candidate. He returned later only to join the Congress.
Congress candidate Anand Nyamgouda has bagged Jamkhandi by overthrowing Srikant Kulkarni of BJP. He has won by a margin of 39,480 votes.
Not contrary to expectations, BJP has won the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, which is former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa’s foothold. BS Yeddyurappa’s son defeated Madhu Bangarappa by a margin of over 50,000 votes.
