Bengaluru, Nov 23 With the thumping victory in the by-elections held for three Assembly segments in the state, the Congress has consolidated its position in the state amid alleged allegations of corruption and Waqf row.
The victory of the grand old party has also strengthened the hands of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah facing an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Lokayukta in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
The NDA alliance was relying on the consolidation of the Vokkaliga vote bank in Channapatna. However, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh outsmarted the Deve Gowda family in the Channapatna constituency.
They delivered the first blow by hijacking senior BJP leader C.P. Yogeshwara and making him their candidate. The BJP and JD-S were taken aback and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who wanted the seat represented by him to be retained by the JD-S fielded his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
The defeat is a huge setback for Kumaraswamy, who did not agree to field Yogeshwara as the BJP candidate from the Channapatna seat.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah camped in the Shiggaon constituency for three days while Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan worked day and night to ensure the victory of Congress candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan.
The presence of considerable Muslim and Kuruba community votes and the oppressed classes also consolidated towards the Congress party.
The internal fight in the BJP and guarantee undercurrent has ensured the victory of the Congress candidate in Sandur the seat where Annapurna Tukaram defeated BJP's Bangaru Hanumanthu.
Sources said that prominent leader B. Sriramulu did not work wholeheartedly on the election.
Following the defeat, State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra will face a litmus test as party senior leaders had already raised a banner of revolt questioning his leadership.
BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has charged that former CM B.S. Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra are responsible for the defeat. He demanded that Vijayendra should resign from his post.
With the by-election victory, the issue of the resignation of Siddaramaiah and talks of bringing down the Congress government will take a back seat.
--IANS
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