With the new year round the corner, it will be a grand celebration time to the Karnataka Unit of Bharatiya Janata Party as the Election Commission have announced December 27 as the date for by-elections in Karnataka and the results will be announced on December 30. Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswamy and State Chief Electoral Officer M.N. Vidyashankar said although bypolls were due for eight seats, elections would be held only for seven, as an election petition was pending in the Karnataka High Court with regard to Madhugiri Constituency.
According to Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa and State unit party president D.V.Sadananda Gowda, BJP is fully prepared for the byelections and it is set to win all the seven seats which are going in for byelection on December 27. B.S.Yeddyurappa made it clear that party would not ignore the six Independents who were instrumental in forming the first ever BJP government in the South. BJP is ready with the list of candidates and release the final list shortly while Congress is again under the clutches of groupism within the party and may take atleast a week to formally announce the list of candidates. JD(S) is crying for a pre-poll alliance with Congress and State Congress is not in a mood to join hands with JD(S). However, State Congresss unit said it will accept the high command decision. JD(S) party supremo H.D.Deve Gowda and the new president of the party and ex-CM Shri Kumara Swamy seems to be busy in making a strategy to retain the seats JD(S) won during the recent assembly elections.
By-elections became necessary as Shri Asnotikar Anand Vasant of the Congress, elected from Karwar Assembly constituency, Uttara Kannada district, Shri Balachandra Jarkhiholi of the JD(S) (Arabhavi Assembly constituency, Belgaum district), Shri K. Shivanagouda Naik of the JD(S) (Deodurga Assembly constituency, Raichur district), Shri J. Narasimhaswamy of the Congress (Doddaballapur Assembly constituency, Bangalore Rural district), cine star Shri Jaggesh of the Congress (Turuvekere Assembly constituency, Tumkur district), Shri Umesh Katti of the JD(S) (Hukkeri Assembly constituency, Belgaum District) and D.C.Gowri Shankar of the JD(S) ( Madhugiri Assembly Constituency, Tumkur District) have resigned from their respective Assembly Memberships to join BJP. By-election to Maddur Assembly constituency from Mandya District is due following the death of the JD(S) MLA Shri MSSiddaraju.
(RGP)
