Election Commission has announced the By-elections in 3 Loksabha and 2 assembly constituencies in Karnataka on November three. By-elections will be held for Mandya, Shimoga and Bellary Lok Sabha constituencies and Ramnagaram and Jankhandi assembly seats. BJP, Congress and JDS three top leaders represent the constituency from the respected seats and they will be leaving no stone unturned to win back their bastions.
Heavyweights of Karnataka politics: Mandya
Mandya is a stronghold of HD Devegowda’s Janata Dal Secular and a fortress of his son HD Kumaraswamy.
In 2014 General Assembly results CS Puttaraju defeated the Congress candidate Ramya with six thousand vote margins and Bhartiya Janata Party were at third place by getting less than a lakh votes. Since 1996 this constituency is largely dominated by Janata Dal-Secular.
Both Congress and JDS candidates got over five lakh votes in 2014 Lok Sabha election 2014.
JDS and Congress leaders are busy in finalising the name of the candidate to contest from this seat, seeing the tenure less than 6 months. JDS has strong chances of getting the seat in his name as they have won all the seven state assembly seats held recently in the state.
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Heavyweights of Karnataka politics: Bellary
Bellary is one of the reserved constituencies for Schedule Tribes of Karnataka under Bhartiya Janata Party control since 2004 when G Karunakara Reddy won the seat for the first time and defeated Congress candidate KC Kondaiah. BJP has never lost the election since then and also had the full support of local mining king ‘Reddy brothers’.
Bellary seat has always been of high prestige and Congress is eying on DK’s magic to continue in order to gain the total control of the area.
BJP’s B Sriramalu commands a sizeable vote bank of Valmiki community which he belongs. Sriramalu re-entry to the party faced criticism after his dubious role as a close associate of G Janardhan Reddy who is in jail in the Bellary mining scam. But his induction is also seen as a desperate attempt by the BJP to win back the Bellary seat.
Looking at the results of the last state assembly election held this year, the vote share difference has narrowed down between the Congress and BJP in this constituency.
By-polls to be held in 3 Lok Sabha, 2 Assembly seats in Karnataka
Heavyweights of Karnataka politics: Shimoga
Shimoga is the strong bastion of the former chief minister of Karnataka BS Yeddyurappa and he is the Member of Parliament from the constituency. In 2014 Lok Sabha election Yeddyurappa won with a massive vote margin and got over six lakh votes.
BJP candidates for the 3 assembly and parliamentary by-polls will be decided at the party’s core committee meeting happening on Wednesday.
Out of three, Bellary and Shimoga are held by BJP and Mandya by JDS. Both Bellari and Shimoga have been the BJP bastions.
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Heavyweights of Karnataka politics: a litmus test ahead
Will the Congress and JDS combined effort will have an edge over the BJP, only time can tell once the by-polls results will be out by November 6. Congress will take a final call on candidates after the scheduled Planning Committee meeting today. JDS is not contesting the Bellary seat and wants to focus on Mandya seat.
It is interesting to note that the newly elected member of parliaments will have less than six months of time to serve as the General Election 2019 is due. BJP and Congress both parties are surprised over the decision of by-election for the Lok Sabha seats by the election commission of India.
