Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Updated (With IANS Inputs)
Bangalore, Aug 25: Sriramulu, who was a close associate of former minister, Gali Janardan Reddy, and who rules the roost in Bellary rural constituency which he represented as MLA in the past, and from where his sister had been elected as MP, has failed to keep up the popularity base this time. Although the BJP agreed to field his personal assistant, Obalesh, as the party candidate with the hope that Sriramulu's popularity supported by Modi wave will see the party through, the move has backfired. Congress has snatched away this seat from BJP.
B Y Raghavendra, N Y Gopalkrishna, Ganesh Hukkeri
N Y Gopalakrishna of Congress has won from Bellary rural constituency with an impressive margin of over 33,000 votes. In all likelihood, Gopalakrishna will get a ministerial berth during the ministry reshuffle expected to be performed within a few days. Congress victory at Bellary has also enhanced the prestige of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, G Parameshwara, and minister, D K Shivakumar, who was in charge of Bellary rural constituency election matters.
In Chikkodi-Sadalaga, which fell vacant on account of resignation of Congress MP, Prakash Hukkeri, Congress fielded Ganesh Hukkeri, son of Prakash. Here too, BJP suffered severe drubbing, as the electorate rejected its candidate Mahantesh Kavatagimath.
Shikaripura seat, which was represented by former chief minister of Karnataka and current national vice president of BJP, B S Yeddyurappa, seven times, had fallen vacant after Yeddyurappa became MP representing Shimoga constituency. The electorate has remained loyal to him and has therefore chosen his son, B Y Raghavendra, although he won the battle this time with a victory margin of over 6,400 votes.
The Congress, which was facing bitter criticism from its own leaders of late over the state government functioning including assembly speaker, Kagodu Thimmappa, and was battered by Modi wave during the last Lok Sabha election, feels rejuvenated now. With this victory, some of the lost clout of chief minister, Siddaramaiah, will return, and it will definitely add to boost the morale and confidence of Congress workers from Karnataka who were feeling let down of late. This bypoll has brought cheers in Congress camp for sure.
Expressing happiness over his party's performance, health minister U T Khadar said that the voters' acceptance of Congress party in Bellary rural and Chikkodi-Sadalaga constituencies was a reflection of the good work done by the state government in the last one year.
Meanwhile, Sriramulu accused the Congress of using muscle power and money power in wooing the electorate in Bellary to vote for its candidate (Gopalakrishna).
BJP's state unit president Prahlad Joshi told reporters: "We will analyse the losses in Bellary and Chikkodi at a meeting of our state leaders in Bangalore Wednesday and take steps to revive the party's fortunes."
Speaking to the media, a beaming Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said: "Our victory in Bellary and Chikkodi demonstrates the maturity of the people as they are aware of the issues involved in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Our pro-people programmes and pro-poor welfare schemes have reposed faith in the electorate."
On the party's loss in Shikaripura, Siddaramaiah said the ruling party had given a tough fight to the BJP in Yeddyurappa's bastion for the first time, as its candidate (Gowda) lost by only 6,430 votes.
Commenting on the by-election results in Bihar, Siddaramaiah said if secular forces like the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD) unite, BJP could be defeated at the hustings.
"The by-poll results show that BJP is not a force to reckon with in all states, as a united secular front can defeat it (BJP), which is evident in Bihar," he said.
Of the 10 assembly seats in Bihar where bypolls were held Aug 21, RJD bagged three, JD-U two and Congress one, while BJP won only in four.
Fourth Update
N Y Gopalkrishna has won the Bellary rural seat for Congress with a landslide victory against BJP's Obalesh.
In Shikaripura, BJP's B Y Raghavendra is maintaining a lead of over 4000 votes, and with only three rounds of counting remaining, his victory seems almost certain.
The Congress also seems to have won the Chikkodi-Sadalaga seat with Ganesh Hukkeri ahead with a lead of almost 16,000 votes after 9th round of counting. Another 9 rounds of counting are remaining.
Third Update
Congress candidate N Y Gopalkrishna's victory in Bellary rural seat is almost certain as he is ahead with a huge margin of over 25,000 votes, after 12 rounds of counting.
In Shikaripura, BJP's B Y Raghavendra is continuing to lead by over 2800 votes after eighth round of counting.
In Chikkodi-Sadalaga, Congress candidate Ganesh Hukkeri is ahead by over 9000 votes after five rounds of counting.
Second update
After the eighth round of counting in Bellary rural, N Y Gopalkrishna of Congress is leading by over 19,000 votes.
In former CM Yeddyurappa's bastion Shikaripura, his son B Y Raghavendra of BJP has maintained his lead in the sixth round of counting, by a margin of over 1,600 votes.
In Chikkodi-Sadalaga, Congress candidate Ganesh Hukkeri is ahead by over 7,400 votes after four rounds of counting.
First update
The counting for bypolls in three assembly constituencies - Shikaripura, Bellary rural and Chikkodi-Sadalaga - began on Monday August 25 morning.
As per current trends, BJP candidate B Y Raghavendra is leading in Shikaripura, while in Chikkodi-Sadalaga, Congress candidate Ganesh Hukkeri is ahead by over 5000 votes after the second round of counting.
In Bellary rural too, Congress candidate N Y Gopalkrishna is leading by over 8000 votes after the fourth round of counting.
JD(S) did not field any candidate in any of the three constiteuncies.
The final results are expected to be out by noon.
Chief electoral officer Anil Kumar Jha said elaborate security arrangements have been made at the counting centres. In all, 22 candidates are in the fray in the three constituencies.