BENGALURU: The BS Yediyurappa-led-BJP government in Karnataka cemented itself firmly on Monday, with a thunderous victory in 12 out of 15 assembly seats that went to the bypolls. Getting a clear and decisive mandate, 11 of the 17 former MLAs of the Congress and JDS who were disqualified as members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, will make a grand comeback, only this time, as BJP legislators and in all likelihood as ministers in the Yediyurappa cabinet.
The Congress managed to win just two seats while Sharath Bache Gowda — who rebelled against the BJP to contest from Hoskote —was the lone independent to win a seat stamping his authority of being a youth and community leader.
The JDS lost everything — its bastion, vote bank, but more importantly, its face amid its popular ‘community vote bank politics’.
Monday’s results not only decimated the JDS and brought the Congress to its knees, with Legislature Party Chief Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao resigning from their posts, it also saw the BJP creating history by stamping the saffron seal in KR Pet — a JDS bastion. It was a personal victory for Yediyurappa, who drove the BJP’s campaign, to see his party clinch KR Pet — his birthplace — making headway in the Vokkaliga heartland.
Vishwanath in Hunsur and MTB Nagaraj in Hoskote emerged the big losers while Congress’ Rizwan Arshad effectively ended the reign of ex-party colleague Roshan Baig’s hold on Shivajinagar constituency with his win.
Neither the Congress’ appeal to “teach turncoats a lesson” nor the JDS’ ‘Vokkaliga consolidation’ attempts nor Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA (the Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) deterred the BJP’s saffron surge. The huge margins with which the BJP registered victories in 12 seats was a clear indication that the party not just retained its vote bank but managed to cash in on its candidates’ individual support base and eat into the Congress-JDS vote share.
The biggest takeaway from Monday was, BJP successfully infiltrating the JDS fortress in Mandya to clinch KR Pet. The fact that his son Vijayendra led the KR Pet campaign that culminated in a tremendous victory was the cherry on the top for Yediyurappa. The bypolls also tested the capabilities of second rung leaders of the BJP including Deputy Chief Ministers Ashwathnarayana and Laxman Savadi, who came out with flying colours.
Post debacle, Siddu, Dinesh quit posts
Taking ‘moral responsibility for the Congress’ poor show in the bypolls,’ former CM Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao quit as Congress Legislature Party leader and KPCC chief, respectively. Siddaramaiah also resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. Sources said Siddaramaiah might be asked
by the high command to continue as Opposition leader.
