Former congress ministers retain stronghold in Bengaluru

As anticipated, top Congress leaders from Bengaluru, who held key ministerial posts in the Siddaramaiah government, have all emerged victorious this assembly election.

However, the party's candidates who held ministerial posts were not so lucky in other parts of the state.

The former food and civil supplies minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is now the vice president, KPCC; former Bengaluru Development Minister K J George; former Agriculture Minister Krisha Byre Gowda; former minister for Haj Roshan Baig; former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy and former Housing Minister M Krishnappa have all emerged victorious in the City.

Of all the former ministers, K J George, who had contested from Sarvagnanagar constituency against BJP's Padmanabha Reddy, has won by a margin of 53,304 votes. George got a total of 1,09,955 votes.

The lowest margin of victory came from Vijay Nagar assembly constituency from where former housing minister M Krishnappa won against BJP's H Ravindra by 2,775 votes. M Krishnappa's victory margin has come down drastically this election. He had, in the previous election won by a margin of 32,642 votes against BJP leader V Somanna.

Margin of victory

Incidentally, M Krishnappa's victory is also the one with the lowest margin of votes in the city's constituencies in 2018.

Both Dinesh Gundu Rao and Krishna Byregowda, known to be the young leaders in Congress have many things in common.

Both have been the youth Congress presidents in the past and have not lost any elections ever since they started contesting.

Rao won by 10,070 against BJP's Sapthagiri Gowda.

Krishna Byre Gowda had previously contested from Vengal prior to delimitation and moved to Byatarayanapura in Bengaluru. This time he has won by a margin of just 5,671 against BJP candidate A Ravi.

The margin of votes has come down here as well considerably.

In 2013, Gowda had won against the same candidate by 32,400 votes.

In the previous elections, the least margin among the six former ministers who contested from Bengaluru was that of R Roshan Baig, former minister for urban development and Haj. He emerged victorious from the Muslim population dominated Shivajinagar constituency against BJP's Nirmal Surana scoring 20,855 votes more than her.

The highest margin of victory among these ministers in the 2013 elections was that of former Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy. He won against BJP candidate N Sudhakar by a margin of 49,048 votes.

Candidate Victory margin

Dinesh Gundu Rao 10,070

K J George 53,304

Krishna Byre Gowda 5,671

R Roshan Baig 15,040

Ramalinga Reddy 20,478

M Krishnappa 2,775