Campaigning for Karnataka assembly seat ends

Campaigning ended Sunday for the May 28 polling for one Karnataka assembly seat, winning which is a matter of prestige for the Congress as it returned to power in the state early this month after nine years.

The battle for the Periyapatna seat in Mysore district, about 130 km from here, is mainly between Congress and Janata Dal-Secular.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who took over May 13, hails from Mysore district.

The Bharatiaya Janata Party, which was ousted from power in the May 5 assembly election, is also trying to bag the seat as that would help the party to get recognition as the opposition party in the assembly.

In the 225-member assembly that includes one nominated member, the Congress has won 121 seats and the BJP and JD-S 40 seats each.

The remaining are held by smaller parties and independents.

Voting took place for 223 seats May 5 but was put off in Periyapatna seat following the death of the BJP candidate.

The Congress has renominated K. Venkatesh who had won the seat in 2008. His rivals are K. Mahadev of JD-S and R.T. Satish of BJP. Five others are also in the fray.

Vote count would take place May 31.