KALABURAGI /KOLAR: Congress may take several days and even weeks to come to terms with their big leaders losing Lok Sabha elections, but what is more shocking is the fact that many of them did not get majority of votes even in assembly constituencies represented by their party MLAs.
In Kalaburgi, Mallikarjun Kharge got less votes in Chittapur Assembly segment represented by his minister son Priyank. In 2009 and 2014 LS polls, Kharge had got a good lead of 16,239 votes and 14,339 votes respectively against Revu Naik Belamagi who contested as BJP candidate.
This time around, he trailed behind by 5,365 votes to BJP’s Dr Umesh Jadhav. Jadhav and other Congress leaders, who had joined BJP recently had accused Kharge of promoting his son while neglecting other seniors.
Ironically, Jadhav got a lead of 24,288 votes even in Jewargi Assembly segment represented by Congress MLA Ajay Singh. Big setback, however, was in Gurmitkal segment that he had represented in the assembly for eight times till 2008. In Gurmitkal, which is now held by a JDS MLA, Dr Jadhav got a good lead of 19,983 votes. In 2014, Kharge had got 19,090 votes lead from the segment. The senior Congress leader also lagged behind in Afzalpur constituency being represented by Congress MLA MY Patil.
Out of eight assembly segment, Jadhav got lead in six, while just two assembly segments, including Sedam, which is represented by a BJP MLA gave Kharge a lead of 5,077 votes.
Kuruba, Reddy and Lingayat voters in Sedam seem to have backed Kharge.
In Chikaballapura LS seat, former CM M Veerappa Moily failed to get lead in any of the five assembly segments represented by his party MLAs and two assembly segments represented by coalition partner JDS. Only one of eight assembly segments in the constituency is represented by BJP. BJP candidate BN Bache Gowda won with a margin of 1,82,110 votes.
In Kolar, former Union Minister KH Muniyappa, who had won seven election in a row, was in for a shock this time. Of the eight assembly segments, five are represented by Congress MLAs. One seat is held by independent MLA Nagesh, who won the assembly election with Congress support. Except in KGF Assembly segment which is being represented by his daughter Roopa Kala Sashidhar, Muniyappa faced huge loss in all the seven assembly segments.
In Mulbagal, BJP got a lead of 55,928 votes. Congress legislators headed by Ramesh Kumar had urged the high command not to give ticket to Muniyappa and at one stage they had even appealed the party to consider Kharge. High command rejected their appeal and fielded Muniyappa despite strong opposition from its party leaders, including MLAs.