By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday won three of the five seats at stake in the legislative council elections, while the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) retained one seat and the main opposition Congress drew a blank.
Biennial elections to two graduates’ and two teachers’ constituencies were held Thursday. Polling for the fifth council seat from the Dakshina Kannada local authorities’ constituency was necessitated due to the death of Congress member Blasius M. D’Souza.
“Counting in the south-east graduates’ constituency is still in progress and the result is likely to be announced after midnight,” state chief electoral officer M.N. Vidyashankar told IANS late Saturday.
The Congress faced a humiliating defeat when its prominent candidate and former minister H.K. Patil lost to Mohan Limbikai of BJP from the southwest graduates’ constituency in north Karnataka.
Patil, who won five times from the same south-west constituency since 1984, also lost to the BJP in the recent state assembly elections from the Gadag constituency.
Continuing its winning streak from the assembly polls, BJP candidate Shashil G. Namoshi retained the north-east teachers’ constituency defeating Congress nominee Ajagond Annaraya Chennappa.
Kota Srinivasa Poojary of BJP wrested the Dakshina Kannada local authorities constituency, defeating Nityananda Munrota of the Congress.
JD-S nominee Puttanna scored a hat-trick by retaining the Bangalore teachers’ constituency. He defeated Neelaiah of BJP.
The only consolation for the Congress despite the electoral reverses is that it will continue to be the single largest party in the 75-member state legislative council, with 29 members as against 26 of BJP and 16 of JD-S. The remaining nine seats are shared by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and independents.
“People have reiterated their confidence in the BJP and in the leadership of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. People have not given credence to the wrong propaganda of the Congress. We are sure the trend would continue for the Lok Sabha elections, too,” state Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said reacting to the victory of BJP in three council seats.