The counting of votes for two Assembly segments in Karnataka -- Davanagere South and Bagalkot -- where by-elections were held, began on Monday. The results are crucial for both the ruling Congress party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
These include chief minister B S Yeddiyurappa, BJP, and two Congress leaders in former chief minister Siddaramiah and the state unit head of the party D K Shivakumar. Even H D Kumaraswamy of the JD-S, another former chief minister, has put everything at stake in the Basvakalayan Assembly seat from where his candidate is contesting.
Taking the responsibility for the defeat, Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao also resigned from the post of party's Karnataka State President.
The BJP has won Yellapur and Chikkaballapur seats and is leading in 10 seats, while the Congress is ahead in 2 seats and an Independent leading in one seat.
Naidu is facilitating the setting up of a common platform for the non-NDA parties to come together and is expected to meet DMK chief MK Stalin as well.
The 48-year-old Gandhi expressed his happiness with the results of the five seats where bypolls were held on 3 November.
Of the three Lok Sabha seats for which bypolls were held, two were in saffron control and one, Mandya, was held by Janata Dal (Secular). Bypolls were also held for two assembly segments – Jamkhandi and Ramanagara.
An elated Congress-JD(S) leadership thanked the people for blessing the party and expressed confidence in winning all Lok Sabha seats of the state in 2019.
Of the three Lok Sabha seats for which bypolls were held, two were in saffron control and one, Mandya, was held by Janata Dal (Secular). Bypolls were also held for two assembly segments – Jamkhandi and Ramanagara.
Bypolls for the 3 Lok Sabha constituencies and 2 Assembly constituencies are seen as a prestigious popularity test for the ruling Congress-JDS coalition.
