BENGALURU: As the results of two out of four Karnataka Legislative Council seats that went to the polls were declared on Wednesday night, the ruling BJP which won the West Teachers' seat and opposition Congress that won the North West Teachers' constituency were found on an equal footing, while JDS failed to make any mark.
When the reports last came in, BJP candidate Hanumant Nirani was leading against Sunil Annappa Sank of Congress by over 32,000 votes in the North West Graduates' seat. Nirani's supporters, however, were already celebrating as his victory was almost certain. In the South Graduates' seat, Congress candidate Madhu G Madegowda was leading against Ravishankar of BJP in a tough contest and the counting of votes was still underway.
The result may go either way, depending on the second-preference votes. BJP, though lost the North West Teachers' seat that it earlier held to Congress, it managed to wrest the West Teachers' constituency from JDS. For BJP, former Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti won the West Teachers' seat by defeating Basavaraja Gurikara of Congress with a big margin of 4,669 votes.
Counting on for two seats
The 76-year-old leader, who won the seat from JDS last time, contested from BJP this time and romped home with his eighth consecutive victory from the seat. Veteran Congress leader Prakash Hukkeri drubbed young Arun Shahapura of BJP, who was on a hat-trick, by winning the North West Teachers’ seat by a huge margin of 5,055 votes.
The South Graduates’ seat, comprising voters of Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Mandya and Hassan districts, witnessed an intense fight between BJP’s MV Ravishankar and Congress’ Madhu Madegowda and the results are likely to be out on Thursday. Though Horatti’s victory came as a shot in the arm for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the loss of North West Teachers’ seat to Congress came as a jolt in the constituency that comprises the electorate from Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bagalakot districts.
If not for Horatti, the saffron party would have lost even the West Teachers’ seat. Bommai’s efforts to rope him in after convincing Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid off as Horatti’s victory is a face-saver for the chief minister in his home district of Haveri. JDS, which fielded candidates in three constituencies except in the North West Graduates, failed to make any impact.
Results
West Teachers’
Winner: Basavaraja S Horatti
(BJP) - 9,266 votes.
Runner-up: Basavaraja Gurikara
(Congress) - 4,597 votes
Srishaila Gadadanni
(JDS) - 273 votes
North West Teachers’
Winner: Prakash Hukkeri
(Cong) - 11,460 votes
Runner-up: Aruna Shahapura
(BJP) - 6,405 votes
Chandrashekara Loni
(JDS) - 544 votes