Bengaluru: In what is being seen as a bittersweet result for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, the saffron party has won the Sindgi assembly segment, while it is trailing behind the Congress in Hangal.
The Election Commission of India has declared results for Sindgi, while it is yet to be officially declared for Hangal. Both assembly segments had gone for bypolls on October 30.
According to results announced by the Election Commission of India, Ramesh Bhusanur of BJP has won in Sindgi seat by a margin of 31,185 votes, by securing 93,865 votes, while his closest rival Congress' Ashok Managuli has secured 62,680 votes.
In Hangal, Congress' Srinivas Mane is leading by a margin of 7,272 votes, securing 83,514 votes so far, while his closest rival Shivaraj Sajjanar of BJP has secured 76,242 votes.
JD(S)' Naziya Shakeel Ahmed Angadi from Sindgi and Niyaz Shaikh from Hangal are in a distant third position by securing 4,353 and 870 votes respectively.
An estimated 69.47 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Sindgi assembly constituency, while it was 83.76 per cent in Hangal segment during October 30 voting.
A total of 19 candidates were in the fray in the two constituencies, including six from Sindgi and 13 from Hangal. Two candidates from Sindgi were women.
The by-election was necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the death of Sindgi JD(S) legislator M C Managuli and BJP's C M Udasi from Hangal.
This was the first major electoral challenge for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after taking charge. Retaining Hangal, where BJP is trailing, was considered even more important to him, as it is the neighbouring constituency to his Shiggaon assembly segment.
