Karnataka bypolls: BJP set to retain power

The ruling BJP bagged 10 seats and was leading in two others out of 15 constituencies that went for assembly bypolls last week, helping the B S Yediyurappa government hold on to power.

The Congress, which won 12 of those 15 seats in the 2018 assembly polls, won only in two segments -- Hunasuru and Shivajinagar, while its former ally the JD(S) trailed in all the 12 seats it had contested.

Following the lacklustre performance of the Congress in the Karnataka bypolls, Congress leader Siddaramaiah resigned as the Congress Legislature Party leader here on Monday.

As of 3 pm, the BJP was set to win 12 constituencies in which they were leading, according to multiple news reports. The Congress has won two seats and an independent candidate has won one seat in the Karnataka bypolls. After gaining the majority, it is clear that the 4-month-old BJP government in the state may retain its power.

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As of 1 pm, the BJP had bagged two seats so far in the Karnataka Assembly bypolls, while it was leading in the other 10 seats, according to Election Commission of India.

BJP candidate Ramesh Jarakiholi has won from Gokak constituency. This is the party's first win in the constituency. As of now, the BJP has won Athani, Yellapur, Kagwad, Chikkaballapur, Krishnarajapura, Hirekerur, Ranebennur, Krishanrajpur, Mahalakshmi Layout and Gokak, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rizwan Arshad has won in Bengaluru's Shivajinagar constituency by a margin of 16,325 votes.

The BJP has reported its first win in the Karnataka bypolls. BJP candidate from Yellapur Arabail Shivaram Hebbar became the first candidate to register a victory in the bypolls to 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka, for which the counting is underway on Monday.

Hebbar defeated Congress' Bhimanna Naik by a margin of over 31,000 votes, poll officials said, adding that official announcement was awaited. A two-time Congress MLA from Yellapur, Hebbar was among 13 disqualified MLA whom the BJP had given the ticket to contest the by-poll as the party candidate.

The saffron party created history by breaking into the JD(S) bastion and winning the bypolls in the K R Pet segment. This is the first victory for the BJP in Mandya district. The elections were necessitated after Narayana Gowda resigned his MLA's post.

As the BJP is set to sweep the bypolls, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is seen celebrating the occasion with his son BY Vijayendra.

As of 11 am, the BJP was leading in 12 seats, while the Congress was leading in two seats, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. One independent was leading in one seat.

Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad had widened the lead by 7,550 votes in Shivajinagar seat after the fifth round of counting. In all, Arshad has 19,531 votes while BJP' Saravana has 11,981 votes. JD(S) candidate Tanveer Ulla is far behind with just 330 votes.

Given that the BJP is set to sweep in the Karnataka bypolls, Congress leader DK Shivakumar said that the party has "accepted defeat."

At 10 am, the BJP was leading in 10 seats, while the Congress and JD(S) were leading in two seats each, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website.

The BJP continued to lead in Athani, Gokak, and Kagwad seats but the margin of lead saw a decline. In Hunsur, Congress candidate HP Manjunath was leading by 9,441 votes by end of the sixth round counting. After the third round of counting, Congress's Rizwan Arshad continued to lead from Shivajinagar constituency.

After the fourth round of counting in KR Pet, BJP candidate Narayana Gowda had taken lead by 260 votes against Devaraj of JD(S), who secured 12,758 votes in KR Pet. One independent was leading in one seat.

Early trends of counting of votes in Karnataka bypolls showed that the BJP was leading in eight seats. The eight seats where the BJP is leading are: Hunsur, Krishanrajpet, Kagwad, Vijayanagara Krishnarajapura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Gokak and Yellapur.

At 9 am, Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad was leading in Shivajinagar seat, while JD(S) candidate BL Devaraj was ahead in K R Pet seat. BJP's Narayana Gowda was trailing in the KR Pet seat.

The counting of votes for the bypolls to 15 assembly seats in Karnataka that went to polls on December 5 is underway at 11 centres in the state.

The election results will have a bearing on the future of the four-month-old BJP government, led by B S Yediyurappa, in Karnataka.

The counting began at 8 am, poll officials said. The elections had taken place at Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagar, Yashwanthapur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pet, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur and Hoskote.

While the overall polling percentage was 67.91, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Hoskote assembly segment (90.9 per cent), whereas the lowest was KR Puram (46.74 per cent).

According to the poll officials, the first set of results may come by 11 am.