Preparations are going on at the CPD counting center in Belagavi. , Photo Credit: PK Badger
In Belagavi, the Congress is set to get a majority of 11 out of 18 seats. The second largest district after Bengaluru, the outgoing assembly had 13 BJP MLAs and five Congress members.
In 2018, 10 BJP MLAs were elected. Three of them—Ramesh Jarkiholi, Srimanta Patil and Mahesh Kumathalli—had joined the BJP in 2019.
MLC Laxman Savadi, who quit the BJP to join the Congress, secured a lead of over 71,000 votes over his rival BJP candidate Mahesh Kumathalli in Athani. Officials say that the announcement of his victory is a mere formality.
Similar is the situation in Chikkodi-Sadalga, where Congress’s Ganesh Hukkeri has taken a lead of over 50,000 over BJP’s Ramesh Katti.
Congress MLA Satish Jarkiholi, who is seeking re-election from Yamkanamaradi, is certain to win.
In Belagavi Rural, Lakshmi Hebbalkar has got an edge over MES candidate RM Chougalle. In Bailhongal seat, Congress candidate Mahantesh Kaujalgi is leading over BJP’s Jagdish Metgood.
In Belagavi North, Congress candidate Asir Raju Patil is leading over BJP’s Ravi Patil. In Kagwad, Bharamgowda (Raju) Kage has a lead of over 9,000 votes against BJP’s Shrimant Patil. Mr Patil is a Ramesh Jarkiholi loyalist, who joined the ruling BJP in 2019. Congress’s Mahendra Tamannavar is set to win the Kudchi (SC) seat. He has a lead of around 20,000 over BJP’s P Rajeev.
In Ramadurg, former MLA Ashok Pattan has a lead of over 11,000 over BJP’s Chikka Revanna. The BJP has given ticket to Chikka Revanna, a Bengaluru-based realtor, in place of sitting MLA Mahadevappa Yadav. Ramadurga in Bellary and Kurugode are the only two seats in Karnataka where three members of a family – father, mother and son – have been MLAs continuously. Ashok Pattan’s father and mother have been MLAs from Ramdurg in the past.
Congress’s Vishwas Vaidya is leading over BJP’s Ratna Mamani in Saundatti Yallamma seat. JDS candidate Sourav Chopra, who quit the Congress just before filing his nomination, is in third place. In Kittur, Babasaheb Patil of Congress is leading over Mahantesh Dodagoudar of BJP. There were rumors of rebellion in the Kittur Congress after the close family of former minister DB Inamdar was denied ticket. However, senior leaders managed to quell the discontent.
It looks like the BJP is set to lose both the seats in which it has replaced the sitting MLAs. It is winning seven seats – Gokak, Hukkeri, Nippani, Arabavi, Belagavi South, Khanapur and Raibag.
In Gokak, Ramesh Jarkiholi is leading over Congress candidate Mahantesh Kadadi by over 22,000. In Hukkeri, BJP candidate Nikhil Umesh Katti is leading over AB Patil of Congress by around 8,000. In Nippani, Minister and BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle is leading marginally over NCP’s Uttam Patil. In third place is Congress candidate and former MLA Kakasaheb Patil.
In Arabhavi, Balachandra Jarkiholi is leading over Congress candidate Arvind Dalwai. In Belagavi South, Abhay Patil is ahead of MES candidate Ramakant Konduskar.
The Congress is set to lose the Khanapur seat, where sitting MLA Anjali Nimbalkar is trailing behind Vithal Halgekar of MES by around 50,000 votes. In Raibag, BJP MLA Duryodhan Aihole looks set for re-election. He has an edge over JDS candidate Pradeep Malagi. Congress is in third place.