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Karnataka: Two former chief ministers to enter Lok Sabha

Haveri: Two former Karnataka Chief Ministers- Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, who contested the Lok Sabha elections from North Karnataka have emerged victorious.

While Shettar defeated minister Laxmi Hebbalkar’s son Mrinal Hebbalkar in Belagavi by a margin of 1,78,437 votes, Basavaraj Bommai defeated Congress candidate Anandswamy Gaddadevarmath by a margin of 43,413 votes.

Shettar was a BJP member and served in various capacities including party's state president. In 2023 Shettar, a former Chief Minister, Speaker, and cabinet minister, quit the party as he was not given ticket to contest from Hubli-Dharwad central (earlier Hubli Rural), a constituency which he has been winning since 1994 for BJP.

He joined Congress and lost the Hubli-Dharwad central constituency to BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginakai. However, Congress had made him a Member of the Legislative Council.

In a major development, Shettar quit the Congress and rejoined the BJP a few months ago and was also declared as the party candidate from Belagavi. Though he is a native of Dharwad district, Shettar won from Belagavi with a margin o f more than 1 lakh votes.

Belgaum has been with the BJP since 2004. Suresh Angadi had been representing the seat since 2004. After his death, his wife Mangala contested in BJP ticket and won the by-election held in 2021.

Bommai, a former Chief minister and senior BJP MLA from Shiggaon won from Haveri. Shivkumar Udasi, sitting MP who represented the seat since 2009 had opted not to contest the election.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi won the Dharwad constituency. He won the first election in 2004 (from the erstwhile Dharwad North constituency). After delimitation in 2008, he has been winning the Dharwad constituency continuously for the party. Joshi defeated Congress candidate Vinod Asooti by a margin of 97,324 votes.



( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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