Former CM Shettar loses from Hubli-Dharwad central, Savadi wins in Athani

MANGALURU: Two prominent leaders of the North Karnataka region- Laxman Savadi and Jagadish Shettar who had recently quit BJP and joined Congress had grabbed everybody’s attention during the election.

While former DCM Savadi succeeded in defeating BJP's Mahesh Kumathalli in Athani, Congress candidate Shettar lost his Hubli-Dharwad central seat for the first time.

Savadi defeated Mahesh Kumthalli by a record margin of 76,122 votes! While Savadi secured 1,31,404 votes, Kumathalli got 55,282 votes.

Savadi, who represented the Athani constituency for BJP three times - 2004, 2008, and 2013 served as the Minister for Cooperation. He lost to Congress party's Mahesh Kumathalli in the 2018 election. Kumathalli, along with other Congress and JD(S) leaders, joined BJP to form the government under BS Yediyurappa in 2019. While Savadi was made MLC and also as the Deputy CM in Yediyurappa government, he quit BJP as the party decided to field Kumathalli from Athani. Savadi who had joined Congress has now defeated Kumathalli by a huge margin.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Jagadish Shettar lost to BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai in Hubli-Dharwad Central by 34,289 votes.

While Mahesh secured 95,064 votes, Shettar got 60,775 votes.

Former CM Shettar won thrice from the Hubli Rural constituency (1994, 1999, and 2004) and thrice from Hubli Dharwad Central (2008, 2013, and 2018). In most of the elections, he has won with a margin of over 20,000. This time it was estimated that there would be a strong fight between the BJP and Congress in the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. But Shettar lost by a massive margin of 34,289 votes.