Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who quit the BJP and joined Congress, was routed in his own bastion of Hubli-Dharwad (Central) by over 30,000 votes. As many as 13 sitting BJP ministers lost their seats.
Four-time Chikmagalur BJP MLA C T Ravi also lost, making it another big defeat.
JD(S) youth president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, lost his second straight election in Ramanagara. Nikhil had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Mandya.
The ruling BJP, despite a charged campaign, drew a blank in almost eight districts and won a single seat in seven districts.
The 14 ministers who lost include V Somanna, who lost from both Varuna (against Congress’ Siddaramaiah) and Chamarajanagar (against Congress’ C Puttarangashetty).
R Ashoka lost badly against Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar in Kanakapura, but managed to win in Padmanabhanagar.
Dr K Sudhakar, B Sriramulu, Govind Karjol, Murugesh Nirani, J C Madhuswamy, B C Patil, M T B Nagaraj, K C Narayana Gowda, Halappa Achar, Shankar Patil Munenakoppa and B C Nagesh.
Former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi managed to win from Athani on the Congress’ ticket. Savadi had severed his ties with BJP after being denied the ticket. Savadi won comfortably by over 76,000 votes.
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