As bypolls to 15 constituencies across nine districts of Karnataka were held Thursday, 66.25 per cent electors cast their vote, official statistics from the Election Commission of India indicated. The 15 seats that went to polls on Thursday (December 5) were Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagara, Yeshwantpur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pete, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur, and Hoskote.
However, elections to two seats — Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Maski — were not held as separate election petitions challenging the results of the 2018 elections are still pending in the Karnataka High Court.
While the highest turnout was recorded in Hoskote (86.77 per cent), situated 30 kilometres from Bengaluru city, all four constituencies in the capital Bengaluru witnessed a poor turnout.
Karnataka bye-elections: Read highlights from the December 5 polls
The two political rivals — the BJP and the Congress party — accused each other of violating the Model Code of Conduct even on election day. The Congress wrote to the Election Commission (EC) demanding action against BJP leaders and associates for allegedly distributing cash to voters in three constituencies – Yellapur, KR Puram, and Yeshwantpur.
“We also urge to find out the BJP leaders and workers who distributed cash… and take action against them to uphold the laws of the land and in the interest of free and fair elections,” the letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) read.
Meanwhile, the BJP wrote to the CEC seeking action against Jewargi Congress MLA Ajay Jewargi for allegedly campaigning in Shivajinagar for Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad on polling day.
Explained: What led to the Karnataka bypolls, and why do they matter?
Karnataka Assembly Bypoll Results 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: Why the polls were held
The bye-elections were a result of a slew of events that began after the results of 2018 Assembly elections in the state came out. The BJP won 104 seats, the Congress 80, and the JD-S 37 seats in the 224-member House. Three seats were won by others.
After the BJP failed to muster a majority after three days of BS Yediyurappa being Chief Minister, the Congress and JD(S), whose leaders had forged an alliance soon after the results, formed the government with H D Kumaraswamy as CM.
In July 2019, 14 MLAs from the Congress and three from the JD(S) quit the Assembly. The resignations were seen as linked to an attempt by the BJP to topple the state government.
As the 17 rebels stayed away from the Assembly, the Congress-JD-S government collapsed during a trust vote on July 23. The BJP staked claim to form a new government under Yediyurappa on July 26.
Read | BSY confident, but may not have it that easy
In the interim, however, on July 25 and 28, then Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar issued two separate orders under the anti-defection law, disqualifying the 17 MLAs from the House and barring them from contesting elections during the tenure of the current Assembly (which is until 2023).
The MLAs moved the Supreme Court asking that the Speaker’s orders be quashed. The Congress and JD-S too approached the court, seeking enforcement of the disqualifications.
On September 27, the Election Commission announced by-elections to 15 of the 17 vacant seats. On November 13, the Supreme Court passed an order upholding the disqualification of the 17 rebel MLAs by then Speaker Ramesh Kumar but allowed them to contest the byelections.
Also read | BJP up against some anger in 3 seats of flood-hit Belagavi
In a boost to the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP in Karnataka, the party retained its majority in the Assembly by winning 12 out of the 15 seats that went to bypolls this month. The Congress managed to win only two seats (Hunasuru and Shivajinagar), while an Independent candidate, Sharath Bachegowda, who was earlier expelled from the BJP for anti-party activities, won from Hoskote. As many as 11 BJP winners were those who defected from the Congress and JD(S). Click here to know more.
BJP: 12
Congress: 2
Independent: 1
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"I thank people of Karnataka for their unwavering faith in BJP. Our government will continue to transform Karnataka under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi," Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted.
BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday welcomed the outcome of Karnataka assembly bypolls.
Fadnavis said the voters rejected parties who "stole" mandate for the sake of power, apparently referring to the Congress and the JD(S) joining hands to keep the BJP, which had emerged as the single-largest political formation after the 2018 Karnataka assembly polls, out of power.
"In the very first chance they get, this is how voters react to opportunist politics and stealing of mandate by rejected parties by coming together for the sake of power! Karnataka Bypolls result proves that people won’t tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate and wish," Fadnavis said in a tweet.
BJP candidate S T Somashekar has won the Yeshvanthapura seat, defeating TN Gowda of the JDS by a margin of 27,699 votes
"Taking moral responsibility, I am submitting resignation as a president of KPCC. I will send my resignation to AICC president and AICC general secretary," Rao said, adding that he will meet the Congress president and give her a detailed report.
"We accept the mandate in Karnataka. I was given a free-hand during bypolls by AICC to choose the candidates for the bypoll. I have given my resignation to the post of KPCC President,” Dinesh Gundu Rao said while addressing media.
BJP rebel and Independent candidate Sharath Kumar Bachegowda won the Hosakote seat. He defeated BJP's MTB Nagaraj by a margin of 11,486 seats.
BJP candidate B C Patil has won the Hirekerur constituency, defeating Bannikod Hanumantappa of the Congress by 29,067 votes.
The Kagwad seat has been won by BJP's Balasaheb Patil, who defeated Congress candidate Bharamgouda Alagouda Kage by 18,557 votes.
"Express my sincere regrets for not being able to give satisfactory results in the recently concluded bye-elections held to Karnataka Legislative Assembly despite my sincere efforts," Siddaramaiah said in a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"I deem it necessary to step as Leader of CLP by taking moral responsibility," he adds.
"As a leader of legislative party, I need to respect democracy. I have resigned as Congress Legislative Party leader. I have submitted my resignation to Sonia Gandhi," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Siddaramaiah resigns as Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader. He said he has submitted his resignation to Sonia Gandhi.
Jubilant after the BJP's performance in the bypolls, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said that he would give a stable and pro-development government for the next three-and-half years-- the remainder of his term.
"Voters have given their verdict and the results are out. Now we have to focus on the development of the state. I will give a good administration in the next three-and-half years with the help of our ministers and MLAs," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The ruling BJP in Karnataka recorded its first-ever win in the Vokkaliga bastion of Mandya district. BJP candidate Narayana Gowda defeated B L Devaraj of JDS by over 9,700 votes in K R Pete of Mandya district, which has been dominated by Congress and JD(S) for decades. (PTI)
The Mahalakshmi Layout seat has been won by BJP's K Gopalaiah, who defeated Congress candidate M Shivaraju by 54,386 votes.
The Congress has registered its first win in the bypolls, taking the Hunasuru seat. H P Manjunath defeats BJP candidate Adagooru H Vishwanath by 39,727 votes. Hunsur falls in the Mysuru district and is part of the Mysore Lok Sabha constituency.
Ranibennur constituency has been won by BJP candidate Arunkumar Guththur. He has defeated Congress candidate K B Koliwad by a margin of 23,222 votes. Meanwhile, the party has also registered a win in the Krishnarajapete seat. Its candidate Narayan Gowda has defeated JD(S) candidate B L Devaraj by 9,731 votes.
BJP candidate Anand Singh has won the Vijayanagara constituency, defeating V Y Ghorpade of the Congress by 30,125 votes. Vijayanagara (Gen) is a constituency in the Bellary district, central Karnataka region, and is part of the Bellary Parliamentary constituency. Anand Singh won this seat for the Congress in the 2018 Assembly election with a margin of 8,228 votes.
BJP workers in Bengaluru are celebrating as the party retains majority in the House. Here are some visuals, taken by our reporter Ralph Alex Arakal.
The BJP has registered a win in at least six of the 15 bypoll seats, enabling the party to retain majority in the Karnataka Assembly. The party is leading in six more seats, while the Congress leads in two and an Independent in one.
BJP candidate Narayan Gowda is leading the Krishnarajapete constituency. His closest rival is JD(S)'s B L Devaraj, who is trailing by 9,728 votes. If Gowda bags this seat, it will be the BJP's first-ever win in the Vokkaliga bastion of Mandya district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the Congress and JD(S) have been "taught a lesson" for stealing the mandate of the people "through the back door". Addressing a rally in Jharkhand, PM Modi said, "Congress and its allies subverted mandate in Karnataka, stabbed it in the back. People have now taught the party a lesson. Some people said BJP has limited influence in south; people of Karnataka defeated and punished them in a democratic way during bypolls," reports PTI.
The Congress has already accepted defeat in the Karnataka bypolls. The party, which has 80 seats in the 224-member Assembly, is leading in two of the 15 constituencies today. Today, its office in Bengaluru wears a deserted look. Here are some pictures taken by our reporter, Ralph Alex Arakal.
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In case you're just tuning in, here's a look at the Karnataka bypolls. The BJP has won one seat, Yellapur, and is leading in 11 others including Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Chikkaballapur, KR Pura, Yeshwanthpur, Mahalakshmi Layout and Krishnarajapete. The Congress is leading in Shivajinagar and Hunasuru, while Independent candidate SK Bachegowda is up in Hosakote.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is set to retain power in Karnataka as the BJP heads for a big win in the Karnataka bye-elections. The party, which needed to win at least six seats in the December 5 election, has won the Yellapur seat and is leading in 11 others. Here are some ANI pictures of BSY and his son BY Vijayendra on Monday morning.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya congratulates Chief Minister B S Yedipurappa and thanks Karnataka for voting for a stable government. Taking to Twitter, he says, "Your 2018 mandate for BJP has been fortified with the bye election results. Under the leadership of CM @BSYBJP our government will give stable and good governance for our beloved state.
BJP candidate and disqualified Congress MLA K Sudhakar is leading by over 24,520 votes in Chikkaballapur constituency, located 60 kilometres from Bengaluru city. Sudhakar was among the first Congress leaders in the state to publicly criticise the party's coalition with the JD(S). He had won the seat in 2018 with a margin of 45,177 votes.
The BJP and JD(S) are locked in a neck-and-neck fight in Krishnarajapete constituency, where the BJP's candidate Narayan Gowda is leading over B L Devaraj by just 295 votes. In Yeshvanthapura, too, the BJP is leading by just 435 votes over the JD(S).
Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar has conceded defeat in the bypolls. He told news agency ANI: "We have to agree with the mandate of the voters of these 15 constituencies. People have accepted the defectors. We have accepted defeat, I don't think we have to be disheartened."
A H Shivaram is leading in the Yellapur seat by a margin of 21,667 votes over Congress candidate Bhimanna Naik. Shivaram is heading for a big victory in the seat, which could be declared shortly.
In case you're just joining us, here is a quick look at what's happening in Karnataka. The bypoll results to 15 seats are being announced, and it's advantage BJP. The party has taken a lead in 10 seats, while the Congress and JD(S) are up in two seats each. An independent candidate is leading from one seat. We're updating this blog in real time, so stay tuned. You can also follow us on Twitter at @IEBengaluru, @IExpressSouth for live news updates. Read news in Malayalam and Tamil too.
Congress candidate H P Manjunath has taken a big lead from the Hunasuru seat in Mysuru, and is leading over BJP's Adagooru H Vishwanath by 14,278 votes. Vishwanath, former JD(S) state president and Lok Sabha MP, was confronted by a group of voters while campaigning and was questioned on his 'moral right' to contest bypolls on a BJP ticket. The villagers had also pointed out his absence in the constituency despite floods.
BJP rebel and Independent candidate Sharath Kumar Bachegowda is leading against BJP candidate MTB Nagaraj in the Hosakote seat. As per initial trends, Nagaraj, the richest MLA in India, is trailing by 3,879 votes. On Sunday, Nagaraj accused Sharath's father and BJP Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha MP B N Bache Gowda of not campaigning for the party candidate and instead supported his son. Nagaraj had met CM Yediyurappa and complained to him regarding the same on Sunday.
Yeshwanthpur, the second-largest constituency in Bengaluru in terms of population, comprises areas including Dodda Bidarakallu, Herohalli, Kengeri and parts of RR Nagar. T N Javarayi Gowda is currently leading from the seat over BJP's S T Somashekar by a slim margin of 1,275 votes. Somashekar won this seat on a Congress ticket in the 2018 election with a margin of 10,711 votes. He left the party in July, and is now contesting on the BJP ticket.
What are the civic issues in this constituency? What did voters have on their minds while voting on December 5? Read Darshan Devaiah BP's ground report here.
BJP's K Gopalaiah is leading from the Mahalakshmi Layout seat by a margin over 11,500 votes over Congress's M Shivaraju. Interestingly, Mahalakshmi Layout is a JD(S) bastion and the battle between Gopalaiah and Shivaraju is defector vs defector. Gopalaiah is eyeing a hat-trick from the constituency after he recorded back-to-back wins since 2013 when he wrested the seat from the Congress. Ralph Alex Arakal has a detailed analysis on the elections in this seat. Read his report here.
A day before the results of the Karnataka bypolls were announced, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa visited the Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Sri Manjunatha Swamy Temple in Dakshina Kannada while JD(S) supremo and former PM H D Deve Gowda offered prayers at Sai Baba Temple, Shirdi. Here are some pictures.
According to the initial results, the BJP is leading in nine seats, including Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapur, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Chikkaballapur and Mahalakshmi Layout. The Congress leads in the Shivajinagar and Hunasuru seats. The JD(S), meanwhile, is up in Krishnarajapete and Yeshvanthapura.
There are 224 seats in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. There are 17 vacant seats after 14 MLAs from the Congress and three from the JD(S) resigned from the House in July. Today, results to 15 seats will be declared. CM B S Yediyurappa currently has the support of 106 MLAs, including one Independent. The Congress and JD(S) combine have 101 seats. The BJP needs six seats (or seven of the 17) to retain a majority in the House.
On December 5, elections to 15 constituencies in Karnataka were held. This was necessitated after a series of political events led to the disqualification of MLAs. It began in July when 15 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD(S) parties quit the Assembly in a bid to bring down the coalition government led by H D Kumaraswamy. The leaders were disqualified by Speaker K R Ramesh under the anti-defection law. Their disqualification was later upheld by the Supreme Court, which, however, ruled that they could contest the December 5 polls. At least 13 of the MLAs were fielded in the polls by the BJP. Read our detailed explainer on the Karnataka bye-elections here.
There are 17 vacant seats in the Karnataka legislative Assembly. Of these, 15 will be filled today as representatives are elected. Two seats will remain vacant — Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Maski — as there are election petitions regarding the results of the 2018 polls pending in the Karnataka High Court.
Counting of votes for the Karnataka bye-elections has begun. Elections to 15 seats — Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagara, Yeshwantpur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pete, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur, and Hoskote — were held on December 5. There was an overall voter turn out of just over 66 per cent. The BJP has fielded turncoats from 13 of these seats.
Good morning! The results of the Karnataka bye-elections, which were held on December 5, will be declared today. Follow our live blog to get the latest news and updates as counting begins at 8 am. The initial trends are likely to be known by around noon, so stay tuned! Will the BJP be able to win six seats to cross the majority mark in the House, or will Congress and JD(S) candidates succeed in their 'Defeat The Disqualified' campaigns? Only time will tell.