BJP and JD(S) win one seat each in Karnataka bypoll; Siddaramaiah quits

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore, September 16, 2010: In a mixed outcome for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, the party today wrested one seat from the Congress and lost another to JD-S in the by-elections to Gulbarga South and Kadur Assembly constituencies.

In the prestigious byelections held on September 13, BJP’s Y C Vishwanath, a medical practitioner, won by over 13,000 votes in Kadur, held earlier by the Congress.

But in Gulbarga South, BJP failed to retain its seat with JDS candidate Aruna Patil romping home by over 3,000 votes over Congress’s Ajay Singh, son of former Chief Minister Dharam Singh.

Dr. Y.C. Vishwanath and Aruna Patil Revoor 

The Congress suffered a double jolt as it not only lost Kadur but also its candidate Ajay Singh failed to taste success in elections for the second time despite Gulbarga being considered Dharam Singh’s stronghold.

Congress had played for high stakes in Gulbarga, where Dharam Singh and Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge had campaigned extensively, and in Kadur, hoping to cash in on the success of its recent 302 km padayatra against BJP rule.

The two seats fell vacant following the deaths of BJP’s Chandrasekhara Patil Revoor (Gulbarga South) and Congress’ K M Krishnamurthy (Kadur).

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had himself campaigned for BJP candidate Sushil Namoshi, an MLC, but ended up conceding defeat to JD-S, which roped in the wife of late Revoor and successfully rode on sympathy wave.

 

Siddaramaiah Quits as Opposition Leader
Taking moral responsibility for Congress’ defeat in by-elections to the two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah today submitted his resignation. The Congress leader sent in his resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi, sources close to him said.

 

Talking to the media, Siddharamaiah admitted that the Congress leaders including himself had not expected that the Congress would suffer such a humiliating defeat. "Though there are several factors that have led to the defeat, it is true that we have failed to convince the voters", he added. He said sympathy wave led to the victory of JD(S) candidate Aruna Patil Revoor in Gulbarga.


Deshpande too wants to quit
KPCC President R.V. Deshpande too has decided to quit in the wake of election debacle. In a letter written to Congress Supremo Sonia Gandhi today, Deshpande has appealed to her to relieve him of the post. He has written a similar letter to AICC General Secretary In-Charge of Karnataka, Ghulam Nabi Azad. Deshpande told the media that he was expecting relieve order shortly. He had called on Siddharamaiah at his residence around noon today. Deshpande said that Congress leaders would own the moral responsibility for the defeat. "We will take it in a sportsman’s spirit," he added.