Karnataka has rejected BJP’s negative politics, says Congress and JDS

Victory of the ruling JD-S-Congress alliance in four of the five by-elections in Karnataka was a rejection of the opposition BJP's negative politics, asserted a Congress leader on Tuesday.

"A resounding win for the Congress-JD-S alliance in Karnataka. 4-1 thrashing to BJP. The people have rejected the negative politics of the BJP in the state and the abject failure of the Modi government in addressing the people's issues. Congrats to all the winners," tweeted the Congress state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The Janata Dal-Secular retained the Mandya Lok Sabha and Ramanagaram Assembly seats while the Congress won again the Jamkhandi assembly segment but wrested the prestigious Bellary (ST) Lok Sabha seat from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which managed to keep the lone Shimoga Lok Sabha seat in the November 3 by-elections.

"The by-poll results are a victory of the coalition government in the state, said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

"People have expressed their support and confidence in the coalition government. These results are indications of the 2019 general election," Kumaraswamy told reporters.

Limiting the BJP to one seat was possible because the ruling alliance leaders have fought unitedy in the by-polls, said JD-S supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

"The cadres of both parties -- JD-S and Congress -- have worked hard together. The parties' leaders have also been united," Gowda told reporters here.

The by-poll results show that the state's electorate had "rejected" BJP, claimed former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"When Narendra Modi does not answer questions of the people, they (people) will answer during the elections. When BJP Karnataka forgets the mandate given by the people and get consumed by arrogance, the people will make them bite the dust. This time it was Bellary mining dust #KarnatakaRejectsBJP," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

The by-poll results were an effort to reconstruct the crumbling blocks of democracy in the country, he added.

In the mineral-rich Bellary reserved constituency, Congress candidate V.S. Ugrappa, won by 2,43,161 votes over BJP's J. Shantha. The BJP held the Bellary seat since 2004.

The JD-S retained the Ramanagaram assembly segment with Anitha, wife of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, winning by 1,09,137 votes majority over BJP's L. Chandrashekhar, who resigned from the opposition party to re-join Congress on November 1.

"This victory belongs to my husband (Kumaraswamy) and my father-in-law (Deve Gowda) and thousands of party workers who supported me. The results show people have placed their trust in the coalition government," Anitha told reporters after her huge victory.

In the Shimoga parliamentary constituency, BJP's B.Y. Raghavendra, son of party's state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa, defeated JD-S contestant Madhu Bangarappa by 52,148 vote majority.

While rejoicing his son's win, Yeddyurappa alleged that the JD-S and Congress alliance used money power to "lure" voters and win the by-elections in other constituencies.

"The parties (JD-S and Congress) have used their money power for the by-elections. The BJP will, however, introspect why we have lost in the remaining seats," Yeddyurappa told media in Bengaluru.