K’taka bypolls: BJP leads in both Sira and RR Nagar constituencies

Team Udayavani, Nov 10, 2020, 10:22 AM IST

Bengaluru: The counting of votes for by-polls to Sira and RR Nagar crucial assembly constituencies in has begun and BJP candidates are leading in both the constituencies.

RR Nagar bypoll results

First Round:

BJP’s Muniratna: 6,164 votes
Congress’s Kusuma: 2,915 votes
JDS’s V Krishna Murthy: 136 votes

Second Round:

BJP’s Muniratna: 11,675 votes
Congress’s Kusuma: 5,903 votes
JDS’s V Krishna Murthy: 419 votes

Third round:

BJP’s Muniratna: 16,575 votes
Congress’s Kusuma: 8,666 votes
JDS’s V Krishna Murthy: 619 votes

BJP’s Muniratna leads with a margin of 7,909 votes

The polling to four Council segments was held on November 3 and October 28 to fill vacancies necessitated due to various reasons.

Votes polled in the November 3 by-polls to Sira in Tumakuru district and Rajarajeshwari Nagar (R R Nagar) would be taken up for counting on Tuesday at 8 AM and the results are expected to be by afternoon. While the Congress and JD(S) are keen to strike after facing a rout in December 2019 bypolls, the BJP would be aiming to keep its winning streak intact.

In the polls held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sira and R R Nagar recorded voter turnout of 82.31 per cent and 45.24 per cent respectively.

The bypoll has been necessitated in Sira following the death of JD(S) MLA B Sathyanarayana in August, while R R Nagar seat here fell vacant due to disqualification of the then Congress MLA N Munirathna last year under anti-defection law.

BJP that had never won the Sira seat fielded radiologist Dr C M Rajesh Gowda, son of former Congress MP C P Mudalagiriyappa, who had recently joined the party, while the Congress and JD(S), considered traditional rivals in the region, nominated former Minister T B Jayachandra and Ammajamma respectively.

Ammajamma is the wife of late JD(S) MLA Sathyanarayana. In R R Nagar, the Congress has fielded a fresh face — Kusuma H, wife of late IAS officer D K Ravi. She was pitted against V Krishnamurthy of JD(S) and N Munirathna of the BJP. He had joined the party last year.