BENGALURU: Battling a serious crisis within, JD(S) had reasons to cheer on Monday as ruling Congress is on the verge of losing in all the four seats of the Legislative Council for which election was held on June 9 and JD(S) candidate Basavaraj Shivalingappa Horatti registered a record 7th consecutive victory from the Karnataka West Teachers’ constituency. JD(S) candidate Srikante Gowda was leading over his nearest rival Ravishankar of BJP by 730 votes at the end of 5th round of counting in the South Graduates constituency. Horatti polled a total of 7,480 votes and defeated his nearest rival M Nagaraj of BJP by a victory margin of 3,109 votes.
Prof Nagaraj polled 4,371 votes. Congress candidate T Ishwar secured 1,352 votes, while independent candidate R M Kuberappa polled 883 votes. The remaining four other contestants polled only 11 or fewer.
While JD(S) candidate Ravishankar was on course to snatch the South Graduates Constituency from BJP at the end of 5th round of counting, BJP candidate Arun Shahapur trounced his Congress rival Ningappa Bannur in the North-West Teachers constituency. In North-West Graduates Constituency Hanumantha Nirani of BJP was well on course to victory against sitting Congress candidate Mahantesh Kaujalagi.