BJP stages comeback wins 11 seats, leads in six

Nilekani, whose entry had given a high-profile status to the contest, has conceded defeat to his rival, a five-time MP

Press Trust of India Bangalore
Last Updated : May 16 2014 | 7:20 PM IST
A resurgent BJP today won 11 seats and was marching ahead of the ruling Congress in six constituencies in the state, dealing a blow to its principal rival in the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress' expectations of replicating its success in the May 2013 Assembly polls doesn't seem have to have worked as the party bagged five seats and was leading in four others as the counting was progressing in 11 seats.

JDS won the Hassan seat with its supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda trouncing his nearest rival, Congress' A Manju by 1,00,462 votes while it led in another.

BJP was leading in Bangalore South with its candidate Ananth Kumar ahead of his rival Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani by a margin of over 1,70,000 votes in a constituency that has been a difficult terrain for the Congress since late 1970s.

Nilekani, whose entry had given a high-profile status to the contest, has conceded defeat to his rival, a five-time MP.

In Shimoga, former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa scored a spectacular victory winning the seat by a huge margin of 3,63,305 votes, in his second attempt in political career to enter Parliament after the failed maiden bid.

Among the prominent winners for Congress was Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge who retained the Gulbarga seat by a margin of 74,733 votes defeating Revunaik Belamagi of BJP.

In a see-saw battle, another Union Minister M Veerappa Moily was leading by over 10,000 votes in Chikkaballapur constituency.

Former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda trounced Congress candidate C Narayana Swamy by 2,29,764 votes in Bangalore North, while his BJP colleague P C Mohan was ahead by over 1,19,000 votes in Bangalore Central.

After its humiliating defeat in the May 2013 Assembly polls, that saw Congress bounce back to power, BJP was on the downside but has retrieved the lost ground, aided by the "Modi magic" as also the return of Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa to the party.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 16 2014 | 7:07 PM IST

Next Story