Striking a heavy blow to the JD(S) in the heartland, the ruling Congress in Karnataka led by Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrested Mandya and Bangalore Rural lok Sabha seats from the JD(S) with a very impressive margin. Film actor Ramya won the Mandya seat by 67,000 votes and D.K. Suresh won by 1,37,000 votes.
The victory in the two by polls against united opposition has strengthened Siddaramaiah to answer adversaries within and outside. The defeat of JD(S) candidates in the Vokkaliga bastion of Mandya and Bangalore Rural has further consolidated Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah and in a way, Congress can safely look forward to the 2014 general elections. In fact, political pundits feel that the defeat of united opposition candidates of JD(S) was an indication and a lesson to BJP and JDS who wanted have a united opposition.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said,”I thank the people of both the constituencies. It is a big and significant victory for us. People are very intelligent in exercising their vote. They have understood that BJP and the JD(S) are opportunist political parties. They do not have any commitment to any ideology. The coming together of both these parties is not based on ideologies . Hence people have rejected them.”
Senior Congress leader and MP from Mysore, H. Vishwanath has said that the Congress victory in the two bypolls strengthens the Congress policies and the consolidation of backward classes and secular forces towards Congress. The result indicated the rejection of both JD(S) and BJP by the people of Karnataka. The credit goes to Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah and all the other leaders, he added.
The victory of film star and Congress candidate, Ramya from Mandya and a comfortable win of the Congress candidate, D.K. Suresh in Bangalore Rural against Gowda clan member, Anita Kumaraswamy has changed the political equations in Karnataka. Infact, D.K. Suresh, brother of D.K. Shivakumar, a powerful vokkaliga politician in the Congress who has been denied a birth over alleged involvement in illegal mining has got more teeth to his demand consolidating his position in the party. The Chief Minister has been saying the effort of united oppositon would help the Congress and the two by polls has proved him right.
The Congress which put up a united face in both the constituencies under Siddaramaiah has proved the oppositon parties wrong and many leaders including KJP’s Yeddyurappa have to have an introspection . The victory for the Congress indicates minorities and backward classes did not move away from the Congress and BJP in Karnataka which tied up with JD(S) and KJP did not help them.
In view of Modi at the helm of affairs in the BJP and looking at the trend in Karnataka it is going to be a tough call to galvanize his magic spell in the state. In view of the Congress victory it would be interesting to see the next political move of Yeddyurappa who has been wanting to join BJP. BJP which is once again harping on Mandir issue while Karnataka proves a lab to churn a new politcal order.
Meanwhile, owning responsibility for the defeat, the state JD(S) President, H.D. Kumaraswamy has resigned from his post. He has said that he abided by the decision of the people and would continue to work for them.
According to the electoral officials D.K. Suresh polled 5,78,608 votes against JD(S) candidate, Anitha Kumaraswamy’s 4,41,601 votes. In Mandya, Ramya secured 4,84,085 votes against her opponent’s 4,16,474 votes.
The poll outcome comes to the Congress just days after it celebrated 100 days in office. The by poll was held on August 21 and counting was taken up on Saturday.