Karnataka By Election Results 2018: From 'early Diwali gift' to 'Test series win under Virat Kohli', how Congress-JD(S) feted win

With the counting for the five seats in the Karnataka by-elections that went for voting coming to an end, the Janata Dal (Secular) has won in two seats, the Congress in two others while the BJP has managed a victory in its stronghold in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency. The results brought a wave of reactions from leaders across all the major political parties whose candidates fought the polls. Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said that there were no preparations for Shivamogga Lok Sabha by-election. “I asked Madhu Bangarappa, who was on a foreign tour, to contest from Shivamogga as per Congress leaders’ advice. Our candidate got defeated with a small margin of votes. I want to thank the voters in all five constituencies. We have fielded consensus candidates in all five constituencies. I am happy with the success of coalition candidates in four constituencies. BJP leaders, who are dreaming of bringing down the coalition government, are disappointed a lot. This coalition government is set to last for five years. The voters have taught a good lesson to BJP leaders for describing the coalition government as an unholy alliance,’’ he said. While congratulating the Congress and JD(S) leaders, Kumaraswamy also acknowledged: “BJP calls JDS-Congress coalition ‘Apavitra Maitri’, today that contention has been nullified. These elections were the first step.” He added that JD(S) will work with Congress on all the 28 Lok Sabha “to win all of them” and “this election was the first step”. “There are 28 LS seats, we’ll work with Congress to win all of them, that is our goal. This is not an empty boast just because we have won today. This is the confidence of people in us. This win is not making us arrogant,” he said. This election was the first step. There are 28 LS seats, we’ll work with Congress to win all of them, that is our goal. This is not an empty boast just because we have won today. This is the confidence of people in us. This win is not making us arrogant: JD(S) leader&Karnataka CM pic.twitter.com/g4QF3oRooh

This elections was the first step. There are 28 LS seats, we'll work with Congress to win all of them, that is our goal.This is not an empty boast just because we have won today. This is the confidence of people in us. This win is not making us arrogant: JD(S) leader&Karnataka CM pic.twitter.com/g4QF3oRooh

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2018

Congress leader DK Shivakumar tweeted that these elections have set the tone for the Congress-JD(S) alliance winning more than 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election. He further added that it was important to deliver development for the people who have trusted us, than winning. He pledged to make Bellary and Karnataka the epitome of good governance. ANI quoted the leader as saying: “I think as far as southern India is concerned, you can’t make Ram Mandir a political plank. People are looking at what they’re going to get, what benefit they’re going to get in social and economic sector, administration and transparency.” Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundurao told ANI: “People have rejected BJP. It is also a rejection of the Modi government. Bypoll results will send a message to the entire country that the time for change has come.” Former chief minister Siddarmaiah and Congress leader termed the victory as an ’early Diwali gift’ to the Congress and  JD(S) from the people of Karnataka. “The outcome of the by-elections is an indicator for the Lok Sabha elections. I am thanking the voters in three Lok Sabha seats and two Assembly seats,” he said. The Karnataka Congress from its Twitter acknowledged the victory and said in its tweet that the party was “grateful to all the voters who came out in huge numbers to support us. People of Karnataka have sent a clear message to BJP.” The party further tweeted: “Our candidates have campaigned with passion and a desire to serve. It is clear from the results across all seats that the positive message has reached the people.”

Our candidates have campaigned with passion and a desire to serve. It is clear from the results across all seats that the positive message has reached the people. #KarnatakaByElection2018 #KarnatakaRejectsBJP

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) November 6, 2018

JDS leader Pawan Kalyan had tweeted his support for Kumaraswamy and said that he truly believed that “Karnataka state will progress rapidly in all directions, under the committed leadership of my beloved and respected brother.”

I truly believe that our Karnataka state will progress rapidly in all directions,under the committed leadership of my beloved & respected brother ...Hon. CM Sri. Kumara Swamy Gowda pic.twitter.com/oe17v8K0JW

— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) November 1, 2018

Congress leader P Chidambaram compared the 4-1 bye-election to the Test series win under Virat Kohli.  “Lesson to be learnt: Alliance has turned out to be beneficial,” he tweeted.

4-1 result (unsure about Shimoga LS) in Karnataka looks like a Test series win under Virat Kohli. Coalition has delivered.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) November 6, 2018

BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa said that coalition parties which are in power have spent a huge amount of money to influence voters in four constituencies. They distributed lakhs of litres of liquor to the voters. He said that they tried same trick in Shivamogga constituency but could not succeed. “Let us not forget that we have to prepare for the next Lok Sabha elections within two months,’’ Yeddyurappa told BJP workers. HD Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha Kumaraswamy won from the Ramanagara constituency with 1,25,043 votes and by a margin of 10,9137 votes. In Shimoga, BJP’s BY Raghavendra defeated his rival Madhu Bangarappa of JD(S) by a margin of 52,148 votes as he got 5,43,306 votes. LR Shivarame Gowda of JD(S) secured a win with 5,53,374 votes as BJP’s new candidate Siddaramaiah could only get 2,44,377 votes in Mandya. In Bellary, at end of the 16th round of counting of votes, Congress candidate VS Ugrappa had got 5,54,139 votes, BJP’s J Shantha had got 3,60,608 votes and 11,674 votes were polled for NOTA. In the Jamkhandi Assembly seat, Congress candidate Anand Nyamgouda won against BJP’s Srikanth Kulkarni by a margin of 39,479 votes  Nyamegouda got 97,017 votes while Kulkarni got 57,492 votes. The by-election for three Lok Sabha and two Vidhan Sabha seats were held on Saturday. Bypolls in Bellary, Shimoga and Mandya Lok Sabha seats, and Ramanagara and Jamkhandi Assembly seats were necessitated by the resignation of three MPs and one MLA, and the death of another MLA. With inputs from 101Reporters Check out the final vote tally in Karnataka by-elections here