Koppal, 29 September 2011: The BJP candidate Karadi Sanganna won the Koppal by-poll with an ipressive margin of 57,224 votes on Thursday. K Basavaraj Hitnal of Congress and Pradeep Gowda Malipatil of JDS trailed him in the second and third positions respectively.
The ruling party’s impressive winning streak in elections seems to be continuing despite being hit by incessant scams, many of which have drawn national attention.
The results pouring in from the counting centre of Koppal by-poll on Thursday hinted at a BJP victory. Its candidate Karadi Sanganna, who raced ahead from the word go, went from strength to strength in each of the 15 rounds of counting.
Sanganna’s lead has steadily widened from 2,569 votes in round one to 10,281 in round eight.
A Sanganna victory was expected to help former chief minister Yeddurappa make a comeback in state and party politics. The beleaguered leader has led the campaign in Koppal much against the wishes of his detractors in the party.
A defeat would have seen his party opponents led by state BJP president Eshwarappa and central leader Ananth Kumar further moving in to marginalise him.
Earlier, the counting of votes for the Koppal by-poll began around 8 am on Thursday.
Due to heavy rains in the city there was a slight delay in the arrival of polling agents at the the Gavisiddeshwara Arts, Commerce and Science College. The result of the contest between 14 candidates is expected by 12 noon.
|Tight police security has been provided to maintain law and order in the view of the counting. As many as three DySPs, 14 SIs, 30 ASIs, 65 head constables, 168 constables, 100 Home Guard Staff, four KSRP platoons and six platoons of District Armed Reserved Force have been deputed.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been clamped in the Assembly constituency as a precautionary measure.
The ban order will be in force till 6 pm on October 1. However, the orders are relaxed for religious functions and last rites.
Karadi Sanganna pulling it off against odds
Koppal, 29 Sep 2011: Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had announced that the by-election to the Koppal Assembly constituency was an acid test for him.
In reality, it was an acid test to Karadi Sanganna, the BJP candidate. Sanganna, previously elected from the JD(S), had resigned from the Legislative Assembly and joined the BJP under ‘Operation Lotus,’ paving the way for the by-election.
It was a make or break election him as he had to prove his political strength all over again in a new party.
It may be recalled that Sanganna gained his maiden entry into the Legislative Assembly in 1994, when he contested as an Independent candidate. He won the 1999 Assembly elections on a JD(S) ticket. But in 2004, when he contested on a BJP ticket, he was defeated. In 2008 elections, Sanganna was again elected from the JD(S) ticket. But on March 3, this year, he resigned from the Assembly and joined the BJP.
For the BJP the election was a milestone as it was yet to open its account in Koppal. The party has been contesting the elections since 1972, but was yet to taste victory here.
Given the poor record of BJP candidates here, Sanganna faced a tough challenge.
Congress candidate K Basavaraj Hitnal had won the 2004 elections against Sanganna and in this election too, Hitnal posed a tough challenge
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