Karnataka Bypoll Results 2019 LIVE: Siddaramaiah, Dinesh Gundu Rao Quit After Crushing Congress Defeat

Karnataka Bypoll Results 2019 LIVE Updates: BS Yediyurappa is set to retain power, with the BJP winning 12 of the 15 seats that went to bypolls last week. The saffron party needed minimum six to stay afloat in the southern state. The Congress won two seats, while an Independent won one. The JD(S) suffered the biggest setback with zero wins. Accepting responsibility for the drubbing, Congress leader Siddaramaiah resigned as the leader of opposition in assembly, while Dinesh Gundurao quit as KPCC president. Neither resignations have been accepted yet.

The Karnataka bypoll were held to fill the vacancies caused by the disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose revolt led to collapse of the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July and paved the way for BJP to come to power. The elections had taken place at Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagar, Yashwanthapur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pet, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur and Hoskote. Twelve of these 15 seats were held by the Congress and three by JD(S).

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While the overall polling percentage was 67.91, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Hoskote assembly segment (90.9 per cent), whereas the lowest was KR Puram (46.74 per cent).

While by-elections took place in 15 segments, the bypoll in the two other constituencies — Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Maski — will be held later as the matter is sub-judice.

As many as 165 candidates contested the election, though it was, by and large, a triangular fight between the Congress, BJP and the JD(S). The BJP had fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators, who joined the party after the Supreme Court allowed them to contest the bypolls as its candidates from the constituencies they had won in the 2018 assembly elections on Congress and JD(S) tickets.

The BJP and Congress were pitted in direct contest in most of the constituencies that went for the bypolls. In the southern parts of the state, JD(S) was also in the fray, making it a triangular fight. The BJP needed at least six seats in an assembly of 221 seats minus the speaker to continue in the government.

Yediyurappa now faces a tough task of cabinet expansion.

He will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators in his ministry as promised by him and also make place for old-guards, who have been upset over being “neglected" in the first round.

Including the Chief Minister, currently there are 18 ministers in the cabinet, whose sanctioned strength is 34.

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