Published 13:56 IST, December 9th 2019
Subramanian Swamy: Yediyurappa has demonstrated a fine voter support in Karnataka
Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, expressed his happiness as CM BS Yediyurappa is all set to retain his post after the Congress party accepted defeat
Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on Monday, expressed his happiness as CM BS Yediyurappa is all set to retain his post after the Congress party accepted defeat early in the day. Swamy took to the micro-blogging website Twitter and said that he is happy that his long-standing friend Yediyurappa demonstrated a fine voter support in the crucial state of Karnataka. Early on Monday, Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar amid the counting of votes addressed the media and accepted the party's defeat in the by-elections.
Subramaniam Swamy's Tweet
BJP gets the numbers
According to recent poll reports by PTI, ruling BJP has won six seats in the bypolls in Karnataka, while leading in six others thus retaining majority in the Assembly. Bypolls were held on Thursday for 15 of 17 assembly seats left vacant by MLAs who resigned in July, causing the collapse of the Congress-Janata Dal Secular (JDS) coalition and the BJP's takeover. The BJP has to win at least seven seats to claim a majority in the assembly, which will have 222 members after the bypolls. Two seats are still vacant. The BJP currently has 105 MLAs and the support of one independent candidate, while the Congress has 66 and the JDS 34.
'People have accepted the defectors'
Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar, on Monday, said, "We have to agree with the mandate of the voters of these 15 constituencies. People have accepted the defectors. We have accepted defeat. I don't think we have to be disheartened. We need not lose hope, by-elections are different than general elections. Results are results, I do not want to defer with the results. I am confident that as far as Karnataka is concerned, Congress party has a very stronghold. It will not vanish. No one can remove Congress."
The Supreme Court last month upheld the disqualification of the 17 MLAs even as it allowed them to contest the bypolls. KR Ramesh Kumar, the then Karnataka Assembly Speaker, disqualified the 17 MLAs under the anti-defection law and barred them from contesting polls until the term of the current House that ends in 2023.
Updated 14:42 IST, December 9th 2019