Three Belagavi constituencies key to BS Yediyurappa's survival

Belagavi: When the BJP fell short of eight seats to form the government after last year’s assembly polls, sections of BJP leaders blamed it on the party’s poor showing in this sugarcane growing north Karnataka region bordering Maharashtra.

Of the 18 assembly constituencies in Belagavi district, the BJP could win only nine. With barely a week left for the byelection critical for the BJP regime in the state, the party is going all out to win over voters in the three constituencies of the district.

For chief minister BS Yediyurappa to survive, each seat counts a lot.


Gokak, Athani and Kagwad are facing the bypolls on December 5. The disqualified MLAs from these constituencies — Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathalli and Shrimant B Patil, respectively — are contesting as BJP nominees. “The opposition parties are saying I took crores of rupees to switch to BJP. But I quit because the JD(S)-Congress government did not treat me with respect, they did not give funds to the constituency,” BJP candidate Patil said in an election rally in Kagwad on Wednesday.