Bengaluru, Dec 30: The Congress further consolidated its position in the State on Wednesday by winning 13 of the 25 Council seats which went to polls.
Though the ruling party improved its tally in the Council, it is still short of a majority in the Upper House which is crucial for the State government to ensure smooth passage of bills.
Principal Opposition party, the BJP has been pushed to the second position as it managed to win only six seats, while the JD(S) won four seats.
Two seats were won by independents, including BJP rebel and expelled member Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from Vijayapura. IT and BT Minister S R Patil has been re-elected from Bagalkot.
Big jolt
The results have come as a big jolt to the big three of State politics. While the JD(S) lost in Hassan, considered the fiefdom of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, the BJP lost in Shivamogga, home district of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and the Congress lost in Kalaburagi, the stronghold of senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge.
The Congress and the BJP had contested 20 seats each, while the JD(S) had fielded its candidates in 18 seats. Of the total 25 seats, the Congress represented 12, the BJP seven and JD(S) five.
Of the 25 sitting MLCs, nine have been re-elected. The BJP and the JD(S) tried to console themselves, saying that they have lost only one seat each as far as their strength in the Council is concerned.
Yatnal’s victory came as an embarrassment to the saffron party.
In Belagavi, independent candidate Vivek Rao Patil emerged victorious by polling highest number of votes among the winners. He secured 3,951 votes.
He was denied a ticket by the BJP and the Congress but his proximity to the politically influential Jharkiholi family ensured his victory.
The Congress rebels in Bengaluru Urban and Dakshina Kannada district, sitting MLC Dayanand Reddy and former minister Jayaprakash Hegde respectively, lost in the polls.
Reddy secured just 19 votes as Congress candidate M Narayanaswamy, who is a close associate of party MLA from K R Puram B A Basavaraj, won.
Former chief minister N Dharam Singh’s son Vijay Singh from Bidar, K C Kondaiah from Ballari (both Congress); former chief minister Jagadish Shettar’s brother Pradeep Shettar from Dharwad, former minister Kota Srinivas Poojari from Dakshina Kannada (both BJP); and movie producer Sandesh Nagaraj from Mysuru (JD-S), are among the prominent winners. Many candidates who have won are relatives of important leaders.
Results
Congress 13
BJP 6
JD(S) 4
IND 2
Congress still short of a majority in Upper House
Congress, BJP contested 20 seats each
JD(S) fielded candidates in 18 seats
BJP lost in Shivamogga, home district of former CM B S Yeddyurappa
Congress lost in Kalaburagi, stronghold of senior leader Mallikarjuna Kharge
Of 25 sitting MLCs, nine have been re-elected
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