CHITRADURGA: Two successive defeats in the 2013 (bypolls) and 2015 elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council (local authorities constituency) didn't deter him. KS Naveen of the BJP finally made it to the upper house on Tuesday by a comfortable margin of 358 votes, defeating his Congress rival B Somashekhara.
When the counting of votes was completed by afternoon, BJP's Naveen secured 2629 first preference votes against his nearest rival of the Congress B Somasehkhara's 2271. Independent candidate B Hanumanthappa got 16 votes. Naveen won in the first round of counting as he secured the required quota of 50 percent + 1 vote. Out of the 5060 votes polled, 144 were invalid, making the valid votes 4916. Fifty percent of them amounted to 2458 votes, with BJP candidate Naveen winning 2629 votes which is a comfortable majority.
The counting of votes began at 8 am under the supervision of the election observer and the regional commissioner Naveen Raj Singh at 14 tables of the Government Science College annexe. The ballot papers were first made in bundles of 25 votes each and 202 bundles were prepared for the counting which concluded officially by 12 pm. However, the results were declared by the returning officer and Chitradurga DC Kavita S Mannikeri after obtaining the clearance of the Election Commission of India. Later, Mannikeri handed over the certificate to Naveen.
Speaking to mediapersons on the invalid votes, Mannikeri said some of the voters marked first preference for all the three candidates, approximately 10 voters have voted only second preference and not given first preference, five voters dropped empty ballot papers, while some just ticked right mark before the candidates which were termed invalid.
Finally, the invalid ballot papers were shown to the candidates and their election agents after which they were declared as invalid and not eligible for counting.
She said that 18 supervisors and 36 assistants took part in the counting, which went on peacefully amidst minor skirmishes between the agents and the counting personnel. However, they were resolved on the spot by election officials. Smiles were back on the face of the winning candidate Naveen who was grim till the counting ended.
The celebrations began much before the counting was completed. As soon as Naveen splashed the victory symbol and arrived outside the counting centre, BJP followers who assembled outside took him in a decorated motorcade beating drums, dancing to the tune, distributing sweets and bursting crackers. They went throughout Chitradurga city and expressed happiness.
Davangere deputy commissioner Mahantesh Bilagi, Chitradurga ZP CEO Dr Nandini Devi K, Superintendent of Police Radhika G and others were present at the counting centre.