Zee Media Bureau

Bangalore:The Congress on Wednesday stormed back to power in Karnataka in a spectacular fashion after seven years, decimating the ruling BJP and BS Yeddyurappa’s KJP along the way.

In good tidings for a party battered by a series of scams at the national stage, Congress put up an impressive show in the elections bagging 121 seats, eight more than the half-way mark in a House of 224, obviating the need for crutches and belying predictions.

Polls were held for 223 seats with one countermanded after a BJP candidate died.

However, it would not be easy for the Congress high command to name its choice for Chief Minister’s chair. Senior Congressmen who see themselves as the right choice for the top job have already started to lobby support in their favour.

Among those waiting with bated breath are Siddaramaiah, DK Shiva Kumar, G Parameshwara, Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjuna Kharge. For the record Sonia Gandhi has said that the leader will be chosen by the MLAs.

The BJP, which had triumphantly showcased its southern bastion while pitching for respect as a national party, was decimated to just 40 seats in the 224 member assembly.

Victory in the battle for the Vidhan Soudha has come as a breath of fresh air for Congress’ rank and file and also as optimistic news for the party leadership which has been battling multiple allegations of graft/impropriety against its ministers at the Centre.

Embolden by the win, the UPA government adjourned the Parliament sine dine today, two days ahead of schedule.

The BJP has itself to blame for the humiliating loss. Saddled by corruption, infighting within the cadre and rebellion by BS Yeddyurappa, it was all the way down hill for the party that dreams of occupying the South Block in 2014.

The other big story is the hard lesson learnt by BS Yeddyurappa – no individual is bigger than the party. His party, KJP has won 6 seats.

JD(S) of the Gowdas fared better winning 40 seats. However, Kumaraswamy’s wish to play kingmaker would have to wait another five years as the Congress has secured a simple majority.

Key candidates

Congress

Won: Priyank M Kharge (Chittapur), Dinesh Gundurao (Gandhi Nagar), Roshan Baig (Shivajinagar), Siddaramaiah (Varuna), Umashree (Terdal), Ajay Dharmsingh (Jevargi), Ramalinga Reddy (BTM Laylout), MP Patila (Babaleshwar), RV Deshpande (Haliyal), K Gopal Poojary (Byndoor), Pramod Madwaraj (Udupi), Vinay Kumar Sorake (Kapu), UT Khader (Mangalore), Shakuntala Shetty (Puttur), K Abhayacharya (Moodabidri), HS Mahadeva Prasad (Gundlupet), K Sudhakar (Chikballapur), Makbul S Bagawan (Bijapur City), RV Devraj (Chickpet), Tanveer Sait (Narasimhraja), BG Govindappa (Hosadurga), Ramesh Jarkhiholi (Gokak), Umesh Jadhav (Chincholi), KB Prassana Kumar (Shimoga), C PUttarangashetty (Chamrajnagar), Ambreesh (Mandya) , H K Patil (Gadag), Khagodu Thimmappa (Sagar), Munirathna (Rajaraajeshwarinagar), KJ George (Sarvagnanagar), NA Harris (Shanti Nagar), Prakash Hukkeri (Chikkodi), Belgaum North (Fairoz Sait), Inamdar Basangowda (Kittur), SS Mallikarjuna (Davangere North), Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davangere South), ST Somashekhar (Yeshwantpur), Qamar Us Islam (Gulbarga North), BA Mohiuddin (Mangalore North), JR Lobo (Mangalore South)

Lost: CM Ibrahim (Bhadravati), MCVenugopal (Jayanagar), S Kumar Bangarrapa (Sorab), Bhart Paragouda Patil (Ramdurg), CK Abdul Rahman Sharief (Hebbal), Dr G Parameshwara (Koratagere), GS Manjnatha (Chitradurga)

BJP

Won: Govind Karjol (Mudhol), Anant Hegde (Sirsi), Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central), Arvind Bellad (Hubli-Dharwad West), V Sunil Kumar (Karkal), KG Bopaiah (Virajpet), Ravi Subramanya (Basavangudi), Satish Reddy (Bommanahalli), BN Vijay Kumar (Jayanagar), Bharamgoud Alagoud Kage (Kagwad), B Suresh Gowda (Tumkur Rural), Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), Laxman Savadi (Athani), SR Viswanath (Yelahanka), Ashwath Narayan (Malleshwaram), S Muniraju (Dasarahalli), M Krishnappa (Bangalore South), Belgaum Rural (Sanjay Patil), R Jagadeesh Kumar (Hebbal), S Suresh Kumar (Rajaji Nagar), R Ashoka (Padmanaba Nagar), GH Thippareddy (Chitradurga), Lamani Rudrappa (Haveri)

Lost: B Sudhakar Shetty (Udupi), AV Byregowda (Chikballapur), Sanjeeva Matandoor (Puttur), BV Ganesh (Chamrajpet), CC Patil (Nargund), M Srinivas (Rajaraajeshwarinagar), KS Eshwarappa (Shimoga), PC Mohan (Gandhi Nagar), HL Krishnappa (Yeshwantpur), Krishna Palemar (Mangalore North)

JD(S)

Won: HD Kumaraswamy (Ramanagaram), HD Revanna (Holenarasipur), S Chikkamadu (Heggadadevankot), DR Shivraj Patil (Raichur), HS Prakash (Hassan), Zameer Ahmed (Chamrajpet), HK Kumaraswamy (Sakleshpur), DC Thammanna (Maddur), HC Balakrishna (Magadi), JK Krishnareddy (Chintamani), Sudhakara Lal (Koratagere)

Lost: Anitha Kumaraswamy (Channapatna), Sudha Bai Malleshnaika (Hosadurga)

KJP/Others

Won: BS Yeddyurappa (KJP) - Shikaripura, US Banakar (KJP) – Hirekerur, B Sreeramulu (BSRC) – Bellary, Sambhaji Patil (Ind) – Belgaum South, CP Yogeshwar (Channapatna), Santeesh Sail Krishna (Ind) – Karwar, Arvind Patil (Ind) – Khanapur, P Rajeev (Ind) – Kudachi, Mankala Vaidya (Bhatkal), Ashok Kheny (Bidar South), Halady Srinivas Shetty (Kundapura)

Lost: Manjunath Vandal (BSRC) – Indi, Pooja Gandhi (BSRC) – Raichur, Shobha Karandlaje (KJP) – Rajaji Nagar

Elections were held to 223 segments on Sunday, after the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district was countermanded to May 28 following the death of BJP candidate. At 71.29 per cent, the voter turnout was the second highest in the state history, after 71.90 per cent in 1978.