The Karnataka Assembly election for three constituencies saw votes counting begin on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. at designated centers. According to the early trends, NDA is ahead in two segments while Congress in one.
The by-elections were held for the high profile Channapatna Assembly seat represented by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy, Shiggaon seat held by former CM and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai. Sandur seat, where BJP has never won, was represented by the Congress MP E. Tukaram.
The counting for the high-profile Channapatna seat is held at the Ramanagara Engineering College. Considering the sensitivity, Deputy Commissioner Yashvath Gurukar has issued prohibitory orders in the entire Ramanagara district.
The prohibitory orders will continue till Sunday night and public meetings, speeches, and celebrations are prohibited. The step is taken in the interest of maintaining law and order in the district.
The Karnataka police have made tight security arrangements as the seat has witnessed intense competition and recorded 88.80 per cent voting.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy represented the seat. His son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, is the NDA candidate and the Congress has fielded senior leader C. P. Yogeshwara.
Sources confirmed that Nikhil had taken the lead ahead of Congress candidate Yogeshwara initially in the postal ballots counting.
The counting for Shiggaon constituency is being held at the Government Engineering College at Devagiri in Haveri district. Initial trends suggest BJP candidate Bharat Bommai over the Congress contestant Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan.
Bharat is the son of former CM and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai.
The Congress will remain firmly in its traditional bastion Sandur constituency where BJP has never registered the victory. The counting is held in the premises of the Government Polytechnic College, Bellary.
Sources confirmed that Congress candidate Annapurna Tukaram has secured 6,959 votes and is leading by 2,586 votes over BJP candidate Bangaru Hanumanthu.
Political parties in Karnataka are keenly waiting for the results of bypolls to three Assembly constituencies, whose results are expected by noon.
The three gone to poll with the two legislators who successful stayed out of the Lok Sabha elections had submitted their resignations.
Of the three seats, the Channapatna seat is high-profile because it marks the first showdown between the families of former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda and Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress President D. K. Shivakumar.
Reports of heavy betting have been seen in Ramanagara, Mandya, and Bengaluru Rural districts for the election results. Some local people have reportedly bet even their cars, two-wheelers, gold ornaments, and big amounts of cash. Crores of Rupees are said to have been bet by rich landlords from Bengaluru and its extensions.
The results would be crucial not only for the Congress but also for BJP and JD(S).
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