K'taka MLC polls: BJP, Cong win 1 teachers' seat each, counting on for 2 graduates' constituencies
Bengaluru, June 15: The ruling BJP and opposition Congress registered victory in one teachers' constituency each in the biennial election to the Karnataka Legislative Council for which results were declared on Wednesday, while counting of votes is underway for two graduates' seats in which both national parties are leading in one each.
The BJP's candidate from West Teachers' constituency Basavaraj Horatti created a history of sorts in the country by getting elected to the Upper House of the legislature for a record eighth term, while former MLA and MP Prakash Hukkeri won the North-West Teachers' constituency for Congress.
North-West Graduates', South Graduates', North-West Teachers', and West Teachers' constituencies went for polls on Monday, witnessing an overall voter turnout of 71.01 per cent.
The elections to the four seats of the Upper House of Karnataka Legislature were necessitated as the term of BJP's Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa (N-W Graduates') and JD(S)' K T Srikante Gowda (S-Graduates'), BJP's Arun Shahpur (N-W Teachers') and JD(S)' Basavaraj Horatti (W-Teachers') are coming to an end on July 4.
It is a major setback for JD(S) as with the two seats it had won last time, the party has lost West Teachers' and is on the verge of losing South Graduates' constituency.
Horatti, who was Chairman of the Legislative Council until recently, had resigned from the post to join the BJP ahead of polls and contesting the election from West Teachers' constituency on the party's ticket emerged victorious by securing 9,266 votes.
His closest rival Basavaraj Gurikar of Congress got 4,597 votes, while Shrishail Gadadinni of JD(S) got just 273 votes.
Horatti, who was elected as MLC successive times from 1980, had recently ended his long association with the JD(S) by joining BJP.
Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, the 76-year-old is seen as a prominent Lingayat face from north Karnataka. He had been education minister in the state, and was elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.
In the North-West Teachers' constituency, Arun Shahpur of BJP, who was seeking re-election was defeated by Congress' Prakash Hukkeri. Both of them have secured 6,405 and 11,460 votes respectively, while Chandrashekhar Esappa Loni of JD(S) secured 544 votes.
Counting of votes is underway for South Graduates' and North-West Graduates constituencies.
In the South Graduates' constituency, Congress' Madhu G Madegowda was leading against former MLC M V Ravishankar of the BJP and H K Ramu of JD(S). According to sources, Madegowda is leading with a low margin.
The N-W Graduates' seat witnessed a direct fight between BJP and Congress, with JD(S) not in the fray.
BJP's Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa, who is seeking re-election, is leading against Congress' Sunil Annappa Sank.
If the BJP and Congress manage to win one seat each where the counting is on, the 75-member Legislative Council will have 39 BJP members, 27 Congress and eight JD(S), and one Independent member.
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Delhi Polls: BJP faces protest, placates MLA amid resentment over ticket distribution
New Delhi, Jan 12: Resentment surfaced in the BJP on Sunday over ticket distribution for Delhi Assembly polls, with a protest held outside its Delhi unit office and an angry outburst by the outgoing MLA from Karawal Nagar who was not included in the candidate list released a day earlier.
As MLA Mohan Singh Bisht threatened to revolt after being denied a ticket from Karawal Nagar, the party rushed to control the damage and announced his candidature from the Mustafabad seat this evening.
A group of protesters from Tughlakabad in South Delhi held a dharna at the gate of the Delhi BJP office, demanding a change in the candidate from the constituency.
"Vikram Bidhuri Tum Sangharsh Karo; Modi Se Bair Nahi, Rohtas Teri Khair Nahi," the protesters, including mostly youngsters, chanted as the party leaders tried to pacify them.
In the second list of BJP candidates for the polls declared on Saturday, Rohtas Bidhuri was fielded from the Tughlakabad seat. In 2020 Assembly polls, Vikram Bidhuri who is a relative of senior party leader Ramesh Bidhuri, lost to AAP's Sahiram by over 13,000 votes.
A similar protest was also held by some party workers outside the Delhi BJP office against Mehrauli candidate Gajainder Yadav after the announcement of the first list of candidates earlier this month.
Bisht, the senior-most BJP MLA in the outgoing Assembly elected five times from Karawal Nagar, openly expressed unhappiness over being denied the ticket to contest from his stronghold.
A senior party leader said he was pacified after a meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda.
Bisht, after getting the ticket from Mustafabad, expressed confidence that he would win the seat for the BJP.
"I met the national president and things were ironed out. I have assured that I will contest from Mustafabad and win the seat for the party," Bisht told PTI.
The MLA said he and the BJP had considerable support in Mustafabad and he has already attended two public meetings there.
The BJP won the Mustafabad seat, having a significant minority community presence, in the 2015 Assembly polls but lost it to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2020.
Earlier in the day, Bisht told PTI that the party's decision to replace him with Kapil Mishra was "wrong" and its consequences will be visible after voting on February 5.
"You have challenged the 'samaj' (his Uttarakhandi community), not Mohan Singh Bisht. The BJP will lose at least 8-10 seats because of this decision, including Karawal Nagar, Burari, Mustafabad and Gokalpuri," Bisht warned.
The BJP fielded Kapil Mishra, a Hindutva hardliner, from Karwal Nagar in North East Delhi, which was rocked by massive communal violence just after the 2020 Assembly polls.
Sources in the party claimed that there was also "deep resentment" among the Delhi BJP's Scheduled Castes Morcha leaders over being denied tickets from different constituencies including Madipur and Kondli.
A top Delhi BJP functionary stressed that there are many ticket aspirants, so it is natural for those who did not get selected to feel disappointed.
"The BJP is a disciplined party and its leaders understand this. Sooner or later, everyone will realise this and work for the victory of the party giving up their resentment," he said.
The elections to 70 Assembly seats in Delhi are scheduled on February 5. Results will be out after the counting of votes on February 8.
The BJP, out of power in Delhi since 1998, is making all-out efforts to return to power. In the 2015 and 2020 Assembly polls, the party was completely routed by the AAP, scraping through with just three and eight seats, respectively.
