Karnataka Election Results: Big Fights & Who Won What in Athani, Bellary, Chittapur, Other Key Seats

As it’s almost certain that the Congress is coming back to power in the swing state of Karnataka, with the Election Commission data pointing at the Opposition party crossing the majority mark of 113 out of the 224 seats in the state assembly, let’s take a look at the major fights and who won what in key constituencies.

Karnataka Election Results 2023 Live

Congress’ Laxman Savadi has won the Athani assembly constituency in Belagavi district of the Mumbai-Bengaluru region by a margin of 76,122 votes, according to the EC website. Savadi had quit the ruling BJP in the state when the party had announced its candidates for the state polls, and joined the Congress, fanning the whiff of speculation that the saffron party was “not taking care of Lingayat leaders”.

Joining Savadi was Jagadish Shettar, who also quit the BJP, alleging “humiliation” at the hands of senior party leaders. Shettar who is trailing from Hubli-Dharwad Central against BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai by around 36,000 votes.

Priyank Kharge, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s son, has won Chittapur by 13,640 votes. Priyank has served as the MLA of Chittapur for the last 10 years and is currently the head of communication and social media wing of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

In Chikmagalur BJP’s CT Ravi is trailing by 6,896 votes against Congress’ HD Thammaiah, according to the latest trends. JD-S’ Nikhil Kumaraswamy, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son, found hard to save family bastion Ramanagaram against Congress’ HA Iqbal Hussain. Hussain has won the seat by 10,715 votes.

HD Kumaraswamy, however, maintains lead in Channapatna against BJP’s CP Yogeshwara. The seat is in Ramanagara district and comes under Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency. Yogeshwara has been dominating the seat since he first fought the elections as independent in 1999. He won the seat as the Congress candidate in 2004 and 2008 assembly elections. He then joined the BJP during the infamous ‘Operation Lotus’, and then contested as an Samajwadi Party candidate and won against Kumaraswamy’s wife Anita in 2013. He was, however, defeated by chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in 2018.

In Bellary, Congress’ B Nagendra has won by 29,300 votes against BJP’s B Sreeramulu. “My heartfelt thanks to Congress leaders, activists, supporters and the voters of Bellary rural constituency who gave their precious votes for my victory day and night,” said Nagendra in a Facebook post.

Much predictable, Karnataka BJP patriarch BS Yediyurappa’s son Vijayendra won from Shikaripura in Shimoga district against Independent SP Nagarajagowda by 11,008 votes. In 2018, BS Yediyurappa won the seat by defeating Malatesh of the Congress with a margin of 35,397 votes. BSY has won eight times from this seat since 1983.

In Kanakapura, Congress’ DK Shivakumar won by a huge margin of 1,22,392 votes against JD-S’ B Nagaraju. Shivakumar has been the seven-time MLA from the seat and had won in the 2018 assembly elections by defeating Narayana Gowda of JD-S.

Former chief minister and Congress Siddaramaiah has won the Varuna constituency by 46,163 votes against BJP’s V Somanna. The Congress stalwart said the Karnataka Assembly election results will be a “stepping stone” for the Congress victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He further said the election result is a “mandate” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

The Congress is now facing a big question who will be the next chief minsiter of Karnataka – DK Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah.