BJP sweeps bypolls to two Assembly seats

Bengaluru: The ruling BJP on Tuesday swept the bypolls to two Assembly seats in the State by wresting them from opposition Congress and JD(S).

The outcome has given a boost to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's stock amid talks about his replacement in some quarters.

It is seen as a setback for opposition leaders, especially Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar as it was the first election in the State under his stewardship. With this victories, the strength of BJP will rise to 118 in the 225-member Assembly that would still have two vacancies caused by, including by a recent death of a member. Congress has 67 members, JD(S) 33, BSP one, nominated one and two independents besides the Speaker.

In Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment N Munirathna scored a hat-trick, winning by an impressive margin of more than 58,000 votes.

In Sira, it was history of sorts for the BJP as it recorded its first-ever victory there with its candidate Dr C M Rajesh Gowda securing the seat by a margin of over 13,400 votes.

The bypoll has been necessitated in Sira in Tumakuru district following the death of JD(S) MLA B Sathyanarayana in August, while the R R Nagar seat fell vacant due to disqualification of Munirathna as the then Congress MLA last year under anti-defection law.