Karnataka byelection results: JD(S) retains Mandya with huge margin of 3,24,925 votes

MANDYA: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s ambition to create a history by winning the by-poll to Mandya Lok Sabha segment with margin of more than 7 to 8 lakh votes has not got a thumbs up from the voters.

The JD(S) candidate LR Shivaramegowda has retained the segment with a huge margin of 3,24,925 votes further strengthening that Mandya is a JD(S) stronghold.

At the Vokkaliga dominated Mandya district, BJP has managed to get respectable votes. Its candidate has secured 2,44,377 votes.

With the Congress on its side, the JD(S) top brass, mainly Kumaraswamy has asked the voters to elect the party candidate with a margin of over 7 lakh votes. But it is not the case.

However, JD(S) candidate has broken the record of cine actor and politician MH Ambarish who had won Mandya Lok Sabha poll with a margin of 1,24,438 votes in 2004. Shivaramegowda has won the bypoll with margin of over 3 lakh, setting a electoral record.

The bypoll was necessitated following resignation of CS Puttaraju after his election to the Assembly in May. He is now a minister in Kumaraswamy government and handled the party affairs this election season.

Meanwhile, the first ever huge margin of victory was recorded in 1980 when veteran politician S M Krishna, who was candidate of Indian Congress (I) won the poll with 1,24,180 votes. Krishna defeated his near rival Janata Dal candidate and Gandhian C Bandigowda.

Some JD(S) leaders argued that Kumaraswamy’s political calculation of winning the bypoll with huge margin of more than 7 lakhs was not really a hypothetical ambition. JD(S) leaders said the party could have won the bypoll with a margin of more than 7 lakhs if the voting percentage had crossed over more than 70 per cent as it was happened in previous assembly poll.

Meanwhile, BJP’s stunning performance as it was remained as ‘ran-also’ party till to this day shocked its political opponents. BJP bagged 2,44,377 votes. The BJP’s unexpected emergence has proved the facts that its base in Mandya district is being strengthened and extended albeit slowly and it would likely pose a challenge to combine force of JD(S) and congress in coming days.