After early trends in the state byelection results showed the saffron party won six seats while leading in six others of the total 15 seats, it’s almost certain now that the BS Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will sustain in Karnataka.
Karnataka Bypolls Result Live Updates
While the overall polling percentage was 67.91, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Hoskote assembly segment (90.9 per cent), whereas the lowest was KR Puram (46.74 per cent).
While by-elections took place in 15 segments, the bypoll in the two other constituencies viz. Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Maski, will be held later as the matter is sub-judice.
As many as 165 candidates contested the election, though it is, by and large, a triangular fight between the Congress, BJP and the JD(S). The BJP has fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators, who joined the party after the Supreme Court allowed them to contest the bypolls, as its candidates from the constituencies they had won in the 2018 assembly elections on the Congress and JD(S) tickets.
The final tally of Karnataka Assembly bypoll results:
BJP: 12
Congress: 2
JD(S): 0
Others: 1
The BJP wins all 12 constituencies in which they were leading, while the Congress bags just two seats and an independent candidate wins one seat.
Independent candidate and BJP rebel Sharath Kumar Bachi Gowda, who won Hoskote constituency, likely to join back the saffron party.
Meanwhile, at an election rally in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referring to the Congress-JD(S) rout in the Karnataka Assembly by-election, says, “Today, after the results of Karnataka bypolls, those who cheated the mandate of the people, have got their answers from voters in a democratic manner. Whether the BJP will be in power in Karnataka or not was to be decided today. People have punished the Congress there. This is a message for all the states in India that whoever will go against the mandate will insult the people and the voters will eventually teach them a lesson.”
Karnataka CM B S Yedyurappa said, “I am happy that people have given a very good verdict. Now, without any problem, we can give a pro-people and a stable government.”
BJP candidate from Yellapur Arabail Shivaram Hebbar became the first candidate to register a victory in the bypolls. The poll officials said that Hebbar defeated Congress’ Bhimanna Naik by a margin of over 31,000 votes.
Acknowledging people’s verdict, senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar said the party will have to come to terms with the mandate of the voters of these 15 constituencies. He said, “People have accepted the defectors. We have accepted defeat and I don’t think we have to be disheartened.”
The Congress, which had won 12 of those 15 seats in the previous election, suffered a huge blow as it was leading only in two segments Hunsur and Shivajinagar.
The JDS, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, which held the remaining three seats, was trailing in all the 12 segments where it fielded candidates.
