Yediyurappa will have to resign after K'taka by-polls, voters will make defectors lose, says Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will have to resign post the by-elections on 15 seats to be held in Karnataka, said Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday as the results of the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana are becoming clearer.

"As far as Karnataka is concerned, this (rebel MLAs losing) will repeat in all 15 constituency by-polls. We will win the majority of seats. The situation will be such that Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will have to resign," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

The former chief minister had earlier said that though it is unclear whether the results of Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections will have any effect on the by-polls scheduled for Karnataka but asserted that the voters would make the rebel MLAs lose.

"I cannot say that these election results will affect the by-polls here, but people will make sure the defectors lose here. In Maharashtra also the people have made sure the defectors lose in the polls," Siddaramaiah said.

"In Gujarat by-polls the same thing has happened," Siddaramaiah added.

While the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has managed to retain Maharashtra, Haryana is seeing a close contest between the two national parties, with the BJP leading on 40 while Congress leading on 31 out of the total 90 seats in the state.

By-elections to the 15 assembly seats in Karnataka are scheduled to be held on December 5.

Earlier, the by-elections in Karnataka were scheduled to be held on October 21 in 15 constituencies that were vacated by rebel MLAs of Congress and JD(S).

However, the election date was later shifted to December 5 by the Election Commission (EC).

Polling in 15 Assembly constituencies namely Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapur, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Chikkaballapur, K R Pura, Yeshvanthapura, Mahalakshmi, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, Krishnarajpet, and Hunsur, will be conducted from 7 am to 6 pm on the date set by the EC.