Ramesh Babu of?JD(S) eases to win in Legislative Council byelection

Bengaluru, Feb 8: JD(S)?candidate Ramesh Babu was declared elected to the Southeast Teachers' constituency in the Legislative Council on Tuesday after counting of the second preferential votes. The seat was earlier held by the BJP.

The counting of votes, that was taken up at the Government Arts College here on Monday, went on till the early hours of Tuesday. Babu defeated his nearest rival P R Basavaraju (Pepsi) of the BJP by a margin of 3,815 votes (after transfer and conversion of second preferential votes).

Congress's T N Niranjan lost his deposit as he secured only 496 first preferential votes.

According to the preferential voting system, a candidate has to secure 9,125 votes (50%?of total votes polled) to be declared elected. Babu secured 5,251 first preferential votes and?Basavaraju 4,953. Counting of second preferential votes was then taken up late in the evening. At the end the counting process, Babu secured 10,014 votes and Basavaraju 6,199.

Regional Commissioner M V Jayanthi, the returning officer, declared Babu elected. Fifty-one-year-old Babu will have term till June 21, 2018. Babu, an advocate, has been associated with the erstwhile Janata Party and later the JD(S) for the last three decades.

As much as 85.46% of the 21,354 voters (teachers) in the constituency spread over the districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Chitradurga and parts of Davangere exercised their franchise.

The by-poll was necessitated following the resignation of Y A Narayanaswamy, who was representing the constituency. He quit as MLC after he was elected to the Assembly from the Hebbal constituency on a BJP?ticket in a by-election in 2016.

JD(S) still counts'

Welcoming the result, state JD(S) president H?D?Kumaraswamy said the victory has sent a strong message to the ruling Congress and the BJP that the JD(S) is still relevant.

Kumaraswamy said BJP state president B?S?Yeddyurappa, during the campaign, had said the result would be a pointer to the next Assembly elections.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah often used to say that the JD(S) has lost its relevance. “The victory has shown that teachers have trust in our party. It will enthuse us to work better.”

When asked how he could keep away from campaigning despite being the president, Kumaraswamy said, “The party rebel candidate Aravind had requested me not to campaign.

But the party MLCs did campaign. I have nothing against Ramesh. If I had campaigned, then he would have won in the first round itself.”

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JD(S) leader G T Devegowda backs CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA row, taunts HDK

News Network

October 4,2024

Mysuru: Chairman of JD(S) core committee and Chamundeshwari constituency MLA G T Devegowda on Thursday expressed his solidarity with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying the latter need not resign, while lambasting leaders of his own party and alliance partner BJP, including Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

In his speech during Mysuru Dasara inauguration he said that if persons against whom FIR is registered have to resign, many leaders from all the three parties, including Opposition Leader R Ashoka, will have to resign.

“All are sitting in glass houses... Since I know Siddaramaiah well, I am talking about him. At a time when mines and real estate are ruling politics, Siddaramaiah has survived in politics. He has never done any favour,” Devegowda said.

He added, “Allegations against Siddaramaiah are unexpected and accidental. If the Governor and Chief Justice order an investigation, it does not mean that he should resign."

He continued, asking, "Have they told Siddaramaiah to resign or have they asked to imprison him? When a person becomes a Central minister, he or she should realise their dignity and responsibility. Instead of recognising the good work done by Siddaramaiah, they ask him to resign. Will Kumarswamy (facing an FIR) resign? Should Siddaramaiah, who has become CM with a support of 135 MLAs, resign?"

"Opposition leaders are not remembering the good work of earlier CMs Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Veerendra Patil, Ramakrishna Hegde, H D Deve Gowda or S M Krishna. Karnataka is a model state. It is a bad trend to topple an elected government which is doing good work,” he further said.

Devegowda added, “Siddaramaiah is Goddess Chamundeshwari’s ‘Varaputra’ and hence has her blessings during tough times. He won the election in Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, when the BJP-JD(S) government was in power in 2006. With the blessings of the Goddess, he has held varied positions right from becoming an MLA for the first time in 1983. He presented 15 budgets and has become CM for a second time. He took H C Mahadevappa, a Dalit leader to the state level. Siddaramaiah has the support of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar as ‘Jodeththu’. Blessings of the beneficiaries of guarantee schemes are with him (Siddaramaiah).”

Siddaramaiah said, “Devegowda was a MUDA member. He knows the truth. Hence, he is saying this. His words have filled strength in me. ‘Satyameva Jayate’, Truth will always triumph.”

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