B S Yediyurappa confident about winning RR Nagar, Sira assembly bypolls by huge margins

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday expressed confidence about the ruling BJP winning both Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Sira assembly bypolls, results for which will be declared on November 10, by huge margins.

"We will win R R Nagar by (a margin of) 35,000-40,000 votes. In Sira also we will win by about 20,000-25,000 votes. I'm not saying it today, I had said it ahead of the elections and on the polling day," he told reporters here.

The Chief Minister said the Congress has probably taken this prediction lightly and would know the truth once the results are out.

"If Yediyurappa says something, it will be after thinking ten times and after understanding the public opinion. So 100 per cent we will win both seats by a huge margin," he added.

Asked about Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah's claim that the results would favour the Congress, he said "Siddaramaiah will get to know when the results are out on November 10. I wish him good luck."

Exit polls have indicated that the BJP will sweep the Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Sira bypolls. Voting for both assembly constituencies took place on November 3, with a turnout of 82.31 per cent and 45.24 per cent respectively.

The Sira byelection was necessitated following the death of JD(S) legislator B Sathyanarayana in August, while the R R Nagar seat here fell vacant after disqualification of the then Congress MLA N Munirathna under the anti-defection law last year.

The BJP, which has never won the Sira seat, had fielded radiologist Dr C M Rajesh Gowda, son of former Congress MP C P Mudalagiriyappa, who recently joined the party.

The Congress and JD(S), considered traditional rivals in the region, had fielded former Minister T B Jayachandra and Ammajamma. Ammajamma is the wife of late JD(S) MLA Sathyanarayana.

In R R Nagar, Congress had fielded a fresh face -- Kusuma H, wife of late IAS officer D K Ravi. She was pitted against V Krishnamurthy of JD(S) and N Munirathna of the BJP.

Munirathna, after his disqualification last year, had joined the BJP.

The outcome of the bypolls would be seen in many quarters as a reflection on the performance of the Yediyurappa government, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, while the opposition parties-Congress and JD(S) would be keen to strike after being routed in the December 2019 bypolls.

The Chief Minister has already indicated that the much-awaited cabinet expansion would take place at the earliest and he would talk to the high command in this regard soon after the assembly bypoll results.

Expressing confidence about the NDA forming the government in Bihar, Yediyurappa said, "let there be no doubt about it...exit polls may be showing some variations, but according to me, 100 per cent we will be forming the government there."