The big message from the outcome of the biennial elections held to 25 seats of the Legislative Council from 20 Local Authorities’ constituencies is that the Congress has won 11 seats at the cost of the regional party, the Janata Dal (Secular).
The Opposition Congress won 11 seats, three seats less than it had won in 2015. Among the winners, eight candidates won the elections for the first time to become members of the Upper House.
In Old Mysore
The JD(S) lost its ground to the Congress in the Old Mysore region. The party wrested three seats held by the JD(S) in the region. The Congress candidates won in Tumakuru, Mandya, and Kolar constituencies. The party has also retained seats in Bengaluru Rural and Mysuru.
The Congress had fielded fresh candidates in the Mysuru region — R. Rajendra (Tumakuru), M.L. Anil Kumar (Kolar), D. Thimmaiah (Mysuru-Chamarajanagar), and M.G. Gooli Gowda (Dinesh) — and all won and three of them against the JD(S).
Despite having six MLAs in Mandya district, the JD(S) lost to Mr. Gooli Gowda, who served as a special officer to Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekhar and earlier as the media officer to the former Home Minister and MLA G. Parameshwara.
Other first time winners are: Channaraj B. Hattiholi (Belagavi), Bhimarao B. Patil (Bidar), Manjunath Bhandary (Dakshina Kannada), and Shanaranagouda Patil (Raichur). Three candidates — S. Ravi, Saleem Ahmed, and Sunilgouda Patil — already served as MLCs.
Lack of clarity about understanding between the JD(S) and the BJP and conflicting statements from leaders of the two parties on the alliance during the campaign cost the regional party dear.
In fact, a few JD(S) leaders, including Kanthraj (BML), incumbent JD(S) MLC from Tumakuru, is expected to join the Congress soon. C.R. Manohar, who represented the JD(S) in Kolar, recently resigned and joined the Congress. In Belagavi, the Congress surprised everyone by defeating BJP candidate Mahantesh Kavatagimath in a double-member constituency. Mr. Hattiholi of the Congress won in the first preference votes while Independent candidate Lakhan Jarkiholi, stood second and declared winner. The Congress and the Independent candidate’s victory is expected to redraw the battle lines in the district in the coming days.
United fight
Further, unlike in the previous elections, the Congress was able to put up a united show in these elections and issues such as the party’s chief ministerial face in the 2023 Assembly elections did not figure during the campaign. Candidates were also selected on a consensual basis, sources in the party said.
The Congress failed to retain its seats in Hassan, Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, and Ballari. Except Hassan where the JD(S) won, all three other seats went to the BJP.
