Munirathna of Congress retains RR Nagar seat

The Congress won the fight between the two partners of the coalition government with a massive 1,08,064 votes of the total 2,56,444 votes polled at the Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency.

Congress candidate Munirathna won the elections by a huge margin of 25,492 votes defeating not the JD(S) but BJP candidate Tulasi Muniraju Gowda. The BJP secured 82,572 votes whereas the much-touted BJP rebel — JD(S) candidate G H Ramachandra — got just 60,360 votes.

Both the Congress and JD(S) had taken the RR Nagar election as a prestige issue where even JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda campaigned. Munirathna managed to win despite the Election Commission naming him as one of the accused in the EPIC card seizure case.

Munirathna told reporters that it was not religion or caste, but development that people had voted for. “People have acknowledged my work in the RR Nagar constituency and I thank party leaders and workers for showing faith in me,” he added.

Reacting to Opposition leader B S Yeddyurappa’s statement alleging that “money power” led to his win, Munirathna said that it was Yeddyurappa who tried to buy MLAs to win the trust vote. He said that Yeddyurappa is such a tall leader and he should not make such statements.

Congress corporator Asha Suresh who had complained that Munirathna was not allowing corporators to work independently, said people have given their verdict.