Three cheers for BJP in Bengaluru, one for Congress

The BJP regained its hold on the state capital after more than a decade, with emphatic wins in three out of the four constituencies which went to bypolls.
Thirty-nine-year-old Rizwan Arshad who won from Shivajinagar assembly constituency is the only face-saver for the Congress in Bengaluru city. (Photo | Nagaraja Gadekal, EPS)
Thirty-nine-year-old Rizwan Arshad who won from Shivajinagar assembly constituency is the only face-saver for the Congress in Bengaluru city. (Photo | Nagaraja Gadekal, EPS)

BENGALURU: The BJP regained its hold on the state capital after more than a decade, with emphatic wins in three out of the four constituencies which went to bypolls.BJP romped home in KR Puram, Yeshwanthpura and Mahalakshmi Layout, the relatively new constituencies formed in 2008. Congress managed to win Shivajinagar seat.

Now the BJP tally from the city has gone up to 14 in the state assembly. Just a year back, Congress had 14 MLAs, JDS two and the BJP 11. The city has 27 assembly constituencies excluding RR Nagar where byelection was not held. Following the resignation of rebel MLAs and their subsequent disqualifications, BJP had won the recent mayoral elections in BBMP taking the civic body into its hold.

According to data provided by state Chief Electoral Office, the BJP vote share in the three assembly constituencies it won on Monday has gone up from 2.09 lakh in 2018 to 3.7 lakh. With Byrathi Basavaraju, ST Somashekar and Gopaliah being its candidate this time, the party managed a neat 1.61 lakh more voters than its nominees had polled more than a year ago.

Rizwan only face-saver for Cong in city
Bengaluru: Thirty-nine-year-old Rizwan Arshad who won from Shivajinagar assembly constituency is the only face-saver for the Congress in Bengaluru city.  The BJP did not induct Roshan Baig, who has been MLA three times from the constituency, into its fold and instead it fielded former councillor Saravana who came second best against Rizwan.  A senior Congress leader said the absence of Baig proved to be advantageous for Rizwan who is a complete ‘’outsider’’ to Shivajinagar.

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