The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Karnataka): Congress candidate P Puttanna triumphs in Karnataka Legislative Council by-election from Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency, defeating BJP-JD(S) alliance nominee A P Ranganath by 1,507 votes. This outcome marks a significant blow to the BJP-JD(S) partnership, their first electoral contest since JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA last September. With upcoming Lok Sabha elections looming, seat-sharing discussions between the two parties are ongoing.
Out of 16,541 votes cast in the February 16 polls, Puttanna secured 8,260 votes, while Ranganath garnered 6,753 votes; 1,239 votes were rejected. Nine candidates participated in the election.
The bypoll arose when Puttanna, previously representing the Bangalore Teachers’ constituency as a BJP candidate, resigned to contest the 2023 Assembly polls from Rajajinagar, where he was defeated by BJP’s Suresh Kumar.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah interpreted the poll outcome as a rejection of the BJP-JD(S) alliance by the people. He criticized JD(S) for abandoning its secular stance by aligning with the BJP, suggesting that the electorate had rebuked JD(S)’s communal alliance with a resounding ‘no.’ Siddaramaiah congratulated Puttanna, attributing his victory to the nine months of pro-people governance under the Congress government and the electorate’s trust in them.