BJP Scores Victory in Bengaluru Rural Seat

Bengaluru:Having registered three straight wins in Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha seat, Congress nominee and incumbent Member of Parliament (M.P.) D.K. Suresh lost to Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal Secular (JDS) consensus nominee cardiologist C.N. Manjunath, a son-in-law of former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda, in Bengaluru Rural seat. In the 2019 election, D.K. Suresh was the lone Member of Parliament from the Congress party to represent Karnataka.

D.K. Suresh, younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister and president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D.K. Shivakumar. Suresh represented Bengaluru Rural seat in 2013, 2014 and 2019. It was the maiden contest for C.N. Manjunath. Manjunath polled 10, 67, 111 votes and Suresh 7, 99, 930 votes.

During the election, Janata Dal Secular president and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged rampant electoral malpractices by Congress party workers and accused Congress leaders of luring voters through distribution of pressure-cookers, saris among others. Reacting to his defeat, D.K. Suresh said voters have given him a rest and congratulated Manjunath on his victory.

Manjunath attributed his success to the party workers who strived hard for the victory in the election and assured that he will not be complacent in initiating development works in the constituency.

Sources stated that voters of Bengaluru Rural parliamentary seat wished for a fresh face with a clean image to represent them in the Parliament and voted for Manjunath and they added that voters were fed-up with the dictatorial attitude of Suresh and were yearning for a change.