TUMAKURU: The BJP created history of sorts on Tuesday when its candidate Dr CM Rajesh Gowda emerged victorious in Sira Assembly constituency, which has been a traditional JDS and Congress bastion. Except for the first three elections, starting with 1951, when the independents won, the constituency has chosen Congress, Janata Party and JD(S) candidates repeatedly.
The JDS which had bagged 74,338 votes in 2018 had to be content with only 35,982 this time. Banking on the sympathy factor, it had fielded Sathyanarayana’s wife Ammajamma. But the plan bombed despite JDS patriarch H D Deve Gowda, former CM H D Kumaraswamy, his son Nikhil, former minister H D Revanna and his son and Hassan MP Prajwal campaigning aggressively.
Whatever the JDS lost, the BJP seems to have gained. It is evident too by the fact that Congress candidate Jayachandra, who was the runnerup in the 2018 election and had garnered 63,973 votes, this time too hit a similar target with 61,673 votes.