BENGALURU: It was like Thanksgiving for many netas, especially the winning and losing candidates of the recently-concluded bypolls, on Sunday. Starting from Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his deputy, to newly-elected MLAs like Sharath Bache Gowda and newly-defeated candidates like Lakhan Jarkiholi, netas took the first Sunday post bypolls to offer prayers and say thanks — some to God, others to party workers.
Re-energised after the bypoll results, Yediyurappa, along with his son Vijayendra, performed a special pooja at home. A Narasimha Homa to ward off enemies was conducted at the CM’s home Davalagiri in Bengaluru on Sunday morning. With his government grounded with a clear majority, the CM is hoping to tackle rivals within and outside the party. BJP’s Gopalaiah held a thanksgiving event in Mahalakshmi Layout. The MLA, who was re-elected on a BJP ticket, thanked his voters for not letting him down.
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the victors who were thanking their supporters, but the vanquished as well. In Gokak, Jarkiholi brothers Satish and Lakhan held a meet for party cadres and supporters who worked for them. “I am here with all your blessings. I don’t think I have lost the elections. As a candidate, you have voted for me. It’s only because Yediyurappa sought votes in his name that you voted for him. I have lost to Yediyurappa, not to any kith or kin,” Lakhan Jarkiholi, defeated Congress candidate, said.
Meanwhile, supporters of Sharath, the only independent MLA to win from Hoskote, collected rice bags to be offered at Dharmasthala temple. His supporters vowed to donate two truckloads of rice to the temple if their candidate won.