Congress wins Udupi-Chikmagalur seat, BJP faces embarrassment

UDUPI: In a loss of face to the revolt-hit ruling BJP in Karnataka, the Congress today wrested the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat from it, causing an embarrassment to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who had represented the constituency before occupying the top post.

Former minister and Congress candidate K Jayaprakash Hegde defeated BJP's V Sunil Kumar by 45,724 votes while JDS which had entered the poll fray with tall claims finished a poor third as its nominee Bojegowda secured 72,080 votes.

Hegde polled 3,98,723 votes as against 3,52,999 votes by Sunil Kumar in the March 18 bypoll, caused by the resignation of Gowda after he became Chief Minister succeeding B S Yeddyurappa, who is now leading a revolt against him.

Yeddyurappa, who quit as Chief Minister after he was asked by the party central leadership to do so in the wake of his indictment in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, is demanding his reinstatement after the High Court gave him a clean chit recently.

The defeat could not have come at a much worse time for BJP which is struggling to deal with heightened dissidence unleashed by Yeddyurappa.

The Congress has re-established its hold in the constituency that spread across parts of coastal and Malnad regions, which had remained a strong bastion of BJP in the last four elections. Late Srikantappa, a Vokkalinga leader, had won thrice and after re-alignment of the constituency, the seat was held by Sadananda Gowda in 2009 election.

Jubilation erupted in Congress following Hegde's victory. This is the second defeat for BJP in the bye-elections held in the state since November.

BJP rebel candidate B Sreeramulu won the Bellary assembly seat, pushing the ruling party to third place in the bypoll held in November last year.