The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : JD(S)-Congress alliance could not have halted BJP juggernaut

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Thursday, Jan 01, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

JD(S)-Congress alliance could not have halted BJP juggernaut

Laiqh A Khan

Votes polled by BJP more than Congress, JD(S) put together

BANGALORE: Even if the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress had forged a pre-poll understanding for the byelections to the eight Assembly constituencies in the State, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s juggernaut would have barely been halted.

An analysis of the number of votes polled by the candidates of the three mainstream parties — the BJP, Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress — shows that the total number of votes polled by the candidates of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress in each of the eight constituencies would not have surpassed the votes polled by the BJP candidates in four constituencies.

Theoretically, the BJP would have won four constituencies.

A pre-poll understanding could have at best denied the BJP a victory in Doddaballapur Assembly constituency while the outcome would have been more or less the same in the rest of the segments.

In Doddaballapur Assembly constituency, where BJP candidate J. Narasimhaswamy, who polled 59,940 votes, was declared elected, Congress candidate R.G. Venkatachaliah and Janata Dal (Secular) candidate B. Mune Gowda secured 46,849 and 24,184 votes respectively.

In Hukkeri constituency, BJP candidate Umesh Katti polled 85,652 votes while the combined votes of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) candidates accounted for 35,693. Similiarly, in Arabhavi constituency, BJP candidate Balachandra Jhariholi polled 78,988 votes against the 51,222 votes secured by Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) candidates put together.

In Deodurga assembly segment in Raichur, BJP candidate K Shivanagouda Naik secured 48,358 votes. The combined votes polled by his rivals — Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) candidates — was 46,101.

In the event of a tie-up between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), the BJP candidate’s victory margin would have been reduced from 16,254 to 2,257 votes.

In Karwar, BJP candidate Anand Asnotikar polled 68,164 votes while Satish Sail of the Congress secured 50,820 votes and Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Devadas Gaokar had to be content with 2,365. But, the total votes of the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) candidate would have been 53,285 votes.

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