Bypoll results today: BJP hopes for 13; Oppn upbeat

The future of the B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government will be decided on Monday when the results of the crucial bypolls to 15 constituencies will be out.

The counting of votes will begin at 8 am and the results are likely to be out by afternoon, election officials said.

The bypolls were held to fill the vacancies caused by the disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose revolt led to the collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government and paved the way for the BJP to come to power in the state.

The saffron party needs to win at least six seats to hold on to power, while the Opposition banks on the defeat of rebels contesting on BJP tickets.

The Congress, which had accused the BJP of running a ‘minority’ government, is confident of winning more than half of the 15 constituencies. Exit polls, however, predicted a comfortable victory for the saffron party with 8-10 seats — enough to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly.

On Sunday, an upbeat Chief Minister Yediyurappa said the party will win 13
seats. “(If the Opposition wins any seats) it will be one seat for the Congress and another for the JD(S). We will win 13 of the 15 seats, 100 per cent,” he said, predicting a victory margin of 25,000 to 40,000 votes in each of the constituencies.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who tipped the Congress to win 12 or more seats, said he did not believe in exit polls. “You all know what happened to the exit polls on Maharastra and Haryana Assembly elections,” he told reporters in Belagavi.

The BJP had toppled the Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) government after it lost majority following the resignation of 17 MLAs from the coalition government.

The political drama continued after the 17 were disqualified by the Legislative Assembly Speaker till the end of the term of the Lower House. Subsequently, the Supreme Court had upheld the Speaker’s decision, but allowed the rebels to contest the bypolls.

At present, the BJP enjoys the support of 105 MLAs in the 207-member House. The strength of the House will increase to 222 once the results are out; the BJP needs to win at least six more seats to secure a slender majority.