The results of Karnataka by-elections have been announced. Out of five constituencies, JD(S) and Congress alliance has won two Lok Sabha seats and two Assembly constituencies while BJP has managed to claim one Lok Sabha seat.

By-elections were held for three Lok Sabha constituencies in Ballari, Shivamogga and Mandya and two Assembly constituencies - Ramanagara and Jamkhandi.

 
Ballari

In a prestigious battle, MLA Sriramulu's sister J Shantha of BJP was defeated by Congress candidate VS Ugrappa by a record margin of 2,43,161 votes. Ugrappa secured 6,28,365 votes and Shantha received 3,85,204 votes.

Ballari was a stronghold of BJP since 2004. It was a Congress bastion from 1951 to 2004. But BJP's Gali Janardhan Reddy made Ballari as his fortress since 2004. In 2009, J Shantha won as BJP MP from Ballari, followed by Janardhan Reddy's close friend Sriramulu winning the 2014 election.

But as Sriramulu won Molakalmuru seat in the Assembly elections in May, he vacated the Ballari seat, for which by-election was conducted this month.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah tweeted after Ugrappa’s massive win and connected the victory to Diwali festival.

 

He said it is the best celebration of Naraka Chaturdashi as janata janardhan has defeated Shantha and voted against Janardhan Reddy's humiliating ruling in Ballari.

Reacting to the same, Sriramulu said that no one was responsible for the defeat of Shantha in Ballari. But he blamed Congress for using money power and lobby to get this result.

 

Shivamogga

In another close contest, BJP's BY Raghavendra defeated JD(S) Madhu Bangarappa in Shivamogga Lok Saba constituency. It was a tough fight between Raghavendra who secured 5,43,306 votes against  Madhu Bangarappa who managed to get 4,91,158. Madhu was also defeated in Soraba Assembly constituency against his brother Kumar Bangarappa from BJP in May.

Raghavendra is the son of BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and Madhu is the son of former chief minister Bangarappa.

This is the only win in the kitty of BJP in the by-election conducted on November3 for two Assembly constituencies and three Lok Sabha constituencies.

It was a matter of prestige for both as Bangarappa contested against Yeddyurappa in 2008 and had lost by over 45,000 votes. Again Bangarappa contested against Raghavendra for Lok Sabha seat in 2009, but lost.

Thus, the victory of Raghavendra against Bangarappa's son Madhu by over 45,000 votes again is seen as repeating of history.

Another person in contention, Mahima Patel, son of former chief minister JH Patel could secure only 5,042 votes. This is less than NOTA votes cast in Shivamogga - 13,000.

 

Mandya
JD(S) leader LR Shivaramegowda won by record margin of nearly three lakh votes against BJP's Siddaramaiah. However, BJP still looks at it as an improvement as the party, for the first time, crossed 2,00,000 votes in JD(S) stronghold.

Shivaramegowda got 4,94,728 votes against Siddaramaiah’s 2,05, 357 votes.

But this is also a record victory in Mandya as for the first time after 19 years, any party has won election with a massive difference.

Nineteen years ago, actor-turned-politician Ambareesh from Congress had won the election with a margin of over 1,65,000 votes.

 

Assembly election - Ramanagara

Anitha Kumaraswamy, the wife of Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, won the Ramanagara constituency Assembly by-election by 1,09,137 votes. With this, she has become the first woman to win legislative election from Ramanagara. Anitha secured 1,25,043 votes as against Chandrashekhar's 15,906 votes.

She is the third representative from former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's family to win an election from Ramanagara. Kumaraswamy and wife Anitha are entering the Vidhana Soudha together for the second time. Anitha is an engineering graduate and had earlier won Assembly election from Madhugiri.

Anitha defeated Chandrashekhar, who filed nomination from BJP but quit party and joined Congress, just two days before the election.

 "

 

Jamakhandi

In Jamakhandi, Congress candidate Anand Nyamagouda (97,013) won against BJP's Srikanth Kulkarni (57,527).

Both the candidates were eyeing sympathy votes. Sources had said that Yeddyurappa gave a last chance to Srikanth Kulkarni as he had lost with a narrow margin against Anand's father Siddu Nyamagouda in May this year.

Election was held to Jamkhandi as Siddu Nyamagouda who was elected as MLA in Assembly elections conducted in May this year, died in a road accident, days after resuming office.