Bengaluru: Karnataka’s ruling BJP won all three seats it contested in Rajya Sabha elections held on Friday as the opposition JD-S and Congress failed to agree on a common candidate.
While the Congress won the remaining one seat, the JD-S candidate has suffered defeat.
However, an official statement from the Election Commission is yet to be announced.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated that as per the planning and strategy of the party, all 3 candidates from the BJP have won. “I thank all the MLAs for voting for the BJP,” he said.
BJP candidates were Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, film actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and former MLC Leher Singh, while the Congress had fielded former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. JD-S’ Kupendra Reddy, the richest candidate to be in the fray, went down in defeat.
BJP national General Secretary C.T. Ravi said that the party’s strategy has worked. “I thank everyone for supporting the BJP. Congress and JD-S MLAs have voted for us. The support has come from tall leaders of the party, but I can’t take their names,” he claimed.
According to sources, Sitharaman had got 46 first priority votes, and Jaggesh 44 first priority votes and 32 second priority votes to emerged victorious. Meanwhile, Leher Singh garnered 33.17 first priority votes and second preferential votes of 90 MLAs to win.
(IANS)
