K'taka: BJP emerges victorious in 17 seats, JD(S) 2. Cong misses double digit claim with 9

Bengaluru, Jun 4 (IANS): The BJP has managed to win 17 Lok Sabha seats while its partner JD(S) has emerged victorious in two constituencies. The ruling Congress party in the state has failed to reach the double digits by winning 9 seats of the 28 seats in Karnataka.

BJP candidate Dr C N Manjunath, son-in-law of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has delivered a shock defeat to Congress candidate D K Suresh, brother of deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru Rural seat winning by a huge margin. Dr Manjunath, a leading cardiologist in Bengaluru retired from government service and jumped into the electoral fray after the BJP offered him a ticket to fight the Bengaluru Rural seat opposite the three-time MP D K Suresh.

Dr Manjunath’s brother-in-law H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S), also son of Deve Gowda has trounced Congress candidate Chandrashekar popularly known as Star Chandru from Mandya constituency by a margin of more than 2.5 lac votes. Another member of the family Prajwal Devaraj, grandson of Deve Gowda, now embroiled in a sex video scam seems has lost to Congress candidate Shreyas Patel. Former speaker of Legislative Assembly Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri of the BJP who lost the Assembly elections last year in Karnataka has also established a huge lead of more than 1.5 lac votes over his Congress rival Anjali Nimbalkar.

Similarly, Shobha Karandlaje who faced ‘go back’ slogans against her candidacy from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat moved to Bengaluru North constituency and has defeated Congress candidate Prof Rajeev Gowda. Meanwhile, BJP rebel K S Eshwarappa whose son K E Kanthesh was denied a party ticket contested as an independent candidate from Shivamogga defying the party line and has gone on to lose poorly in Shivamogga polling a few thousand votes.

The Congress has significantly gained in the Kalyana-Karnataka region, where the guarantees seemed to have worked in favour of the party.

The Congress is leading in Chikkodi, Koppal, Chamarajanagar, Bellary, Hassan, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Davanagere and Bengaluru Central seats. Sources said the party has won Chikkodi (Priyanka Jarkiholi), Koppal (K. Rajashekar Basavaraj Hitnal), Chamarajanagar (Sunil Bose), Bellary (E. Tukaram), Hassan (Shreyas M Patel) seats but the official declaration was pending.

The BJP is leading in Bijapur, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Shivamogga, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru- Kodagu, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South and Chitradurga seats.

The counting of Shivamogga (B.Y. Raghavendra), Bagalkot (P.C. Gaddigoudar), Belagavi (former CM Jagadish Shettar), Dharwad (Union Minister Pralhad Joshi), Tumakuru (V. Somanna) are complete and an official statement is yet to be made.

The BJP, which swept 25 seats in 2019, is struggling to reach 20 this time even after allying with the JD(S). However, the Congress, which was hopeful of bagging 15 to 18 seats, was leading in 10 seats.

The JD(S) is leading in the Kolar (Mallesh Babu) and Mandya (former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy) seats. Sources stated that the party has won both seats and an official declaration was to be made.