Lotus bites dust in backyards of disqualified legislators

The party did not perform well in a majority of the constituencies represented by the 16 disqualified MLAs.

The Speaker had disqualified 11 BJP and five independent MLAs, following complaints of anti-party activities by the BJP. The disqualified MLAs worked for either the Congress or the JD(S) in the polls and a majority of them succeeded in ensuring that the BJP fared badly in their constituencies.

The BJP leadership had maintained that the party’s strength was intact in these constituencies, though the MLAs were no more with the party. BJP State President K S Eshwarappa toured these constituencies to galvanise the party machinery, but his efforts did not yield result.

Former MLA from Sagar, Belur Gopalakrishna, worked for the Congress and helped the party win all four ZP seats and 12 out of the 14 TP seats in his taluk. The BJP did not win a single seat either in the ZP or the TP in the taluk.

Similarly, Shivanagouda Naik, who represented Devdurga, worked for the JD(S),  which secured all six ZP seats and 13 out of the 21 TP seats in the taluk.

Disqualified independent MLA D Sudhakar supported the JD(S) in Hiriyur. The JD(S) won four out of the six ZP seats and 11 out of the 22 TPs in the taluk.

Nagaraj, the disqualified BJP MLA from Nelamangala, worked for the JD(S) candidates.

The party won all four ZP seats and 13 out of the 15 TP seats in the taluk. In the same manner, S K Bellubbi, disqualified BJP MLA from Basavana Bagewadi, supported the

Congress and ensured that the party came to power in the TP.

In Malavalli, which was represented by former minister M P Narendraswamy, the JD(S) has done well. It won five out of the seven ZP seats and 11 out of the 25 TP seats in the
taluk.

The Congress defeated the BJP miserably in Kollegal, where disqualified MLA Nanjundaswamy had won on a BJP ticket in the by-election. The Congress won five out of the seven ZP constituencies and 18 out of the 27 TP constituencies in the taluk.

However, Indi, the constituency represented by disqualified MLA Sarvabhouma Bagali, proved to be an exception. The BJP won five out of the nine ZP seats and 18 out of the 33 TP seats in Indi taluk.