Bengaluru, June 16 The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, who locked horns in the recent MLC elections held in Karnataka for four graduates' and teachers' constituencies, have got mixed poll results.
Both the parties have won two seats each. Though, the victory has given the necessary boost to the Congress, the ruling BJP is upset over the defeat of two candidates.
The regional party JD(S) has cut a sorry figure in the elections and lost both the seats it had won in the previous MLC election.
The result of the South Graduates constituency was announced on Thursday where Congress candidate Madhu Madegowda has emerged victorious.
BJP candidate Hanumath Nirani has won in the North-West Graduates constituency for the second consecutive time by a huge margin of 34,693 votes against Congress candidate Sunil Sanka after the results were announced late Wednesday evening.
He is the brother of Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Murugesh Nirani.
The victory of Congress candidate Prakash Hukkeri, a former minister and senior party leader, against BJP youth leader Arun Shahapur in the North-West Teachers constituency has got the BJP worried.
Things are not going as per plans for the saffron party in the Belagavi region.
Arun Shahapur was hoping to register a third consecutive win in the North-West Teachers constituency.
The defeat has shocked the BJP as the region is considered its bastion. From 33 constituencies, the saffron party has 22 MLAs.
Prakash Hukkeri has slammed the BJP, saying that the electoral wave in the region has gone in favour of the Congress.
BJP leaders ridiculed the age and educational qualifications of Hukkeri.
Experts say that the results show the Panchamasali sect of the Lingayat community is drifting away from the BJP, therefore the saffron party has taken the poll defeat seriously and is taking measures to strengthen itself.
Former Speaker Basavaraj Horatti has registered his eighth consecutive win from the West Teachers constituency.
It was a 'do or die' situation for Horatti, who had joined the BJP from the JD(S) recently.
North-West Graduates constituency saw 50 per cent polling, South Graduates 70 per cent, North-West Teachers 80 per cent and West Teachers constituency saw a turnout of 84 per cent, according to the data provided by the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, seven members of the Legislative Council who were elected recently took oath on Thursday.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Chalawadi Narayanaswamy, Keshava Prasad and Hemalatha Nayak from the BJP; T.A. Saravana from JD (S); Nagaraj Yadav and Abdul Jabbar from the Congress took the oath.
Savadi took oath in the name of God while Abdul Jabbar took the oath in the name of Allah, Narayanaswamy took the oath in the name of B.R. Ambedkar, Hemalatha Nayak took the oath in the name of sage Valmiki. Saravana took the oath in the name of Shirdi Saibaba and Tirupati Venkateswara.
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