Cong trounces BJP, JD(S) as Bommai, HDK sons fall

Ruling party bucks graft charges, controversies for grand old victory

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

An embattled ruling Congress on Saturday overcame allegations of corruption and controversies to win all three by-elections held in Karnataka. Newly inducted Congressman CP Yogeshwar became the Channapatna MLA for the sixth time by regaining his old seat and defeating JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy by 25,413 votes. The hotly contested seat was held by now Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy but he had to vacate it after winning the Mandya Lok Sabha earlier this year. Nikhil is also the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Devegowda. BJP Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai, who won Shiggaon four times in a row, couldn’t ensure his son Bharath’s victory from the BJP bastion. He lost by 13,448 votes to Congressman Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had suffered a defeat against Basavaraj Bommai last year.

Bharath like Nikhil is the son and grandson of former Chief Ministers. Meanwhile, Congresswoman E Annapoorna defended party stronghold Sandur from the assault led by BJP candidate Bangaru Hanumanthu and his benefactor and Gangavathi MLA G Janardhan Reddy, winning by a margin of 9,649 votes. Sandur was won by her husband E Tukaram four consecutive times prior to this. All three constituencies were vacated in June because respective MLAs had resigned after winning Lok Sabha seats. The spectres of Valmiki Corporation illegal money transfer scam and the Mysore Urban Development Authority illegal land allotment scam have been haunting the ruling Congress. Despite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being accused in the latter, the results are seen as people endorsing him.

The Channapatna win is a boost to Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, a local from Ramanagar district. Moreover, BJP failed to make a flashpoint of the issue of tehsildars issuing notices to farmers informing them their land was being claimed by the Karnataka State Board of Auqaaf. Objectionable remarks made by Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed about HD Kumaraswamy’s skin tone also didn’t make a significant dent in Congress’ Channapatna push. Congress holds 137 seats in the Assembly, including the Speaker, followed by BJP with 65 and JD(S) with 17.

Moreover, BJP failed to make a flashpoint of the issue of tehsildars issuing notices to farmers informing them their land was being claimed by the Karnataka State Board of Auqaaf. Objectionable remarks made by Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed about HD Kumaraswamy’s skin tone also didn’t make a significant dent in Congress’ Channapatna push.

CM triumphant: Siddaramaiah asserted that his administration had won in the “people’s court” and that voters had rejected the “false allegations” of the Opposition. “People have favoured our development, guarantee schemes and our ideology and have cast their vote for us and rejected communalism,” he said, adding that the State government had been “strengthened”. Shivakumar declared the by-poll results were a sign of things to come in the 2028 Assembly elections. “I attribute this victory to the guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah’s leadership, hard work of our MLAs and party workers. They burned midnight oil,” he said.

First blow to Vijayendra: The results are also a setback to BJP state president BY Vijayendra and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner HD Kumaraswamy. The former is now contending with a bolstered rebellion led by MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal. “We have suffered a setback in all three seats. We will analyse the reasons for the setback in the days to come. Voters have sent us a clear message that we should correct ourselves and we will take remedial measures,” Viayendra said.