BENGALURU: The ruling Congress-Janata Dal Secular (JD(S)) alliance in Karnataka on Tuesday won two assembly seats
and one Lok Sabha seat in the by-elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead only in one parliamentary seat, Shivamogga, vacated by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's wife Anita won Ramanagara assembly seat and Congress's Anand Nyamagouda bagged Jamkhandi. The Congress was leading in Ballari and its coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular) won Mandya parliamentary seat.
The outcome of the polls will be seen as validation for the Congress-JD(S) alliance.
Around 66 per cent of the 5.45 million electorate have voted in the five bypolls.
Prior to the bypolls, the JD-S held Ramanagara and Mandya seats, the Congress held Jamakhandi and the BJP - Bellary and Shimoga.
"BJP is offering around Rs 250-300 million to some Congress and JD(S) MLAs but they will never be able to poach them," said Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy.
Congress-JD(S) alliance won4 out of 5 seats in Karnataka by-elections 2018, wins Bellary, Mandya, Ramanagaram and Jamkhandi. BJP wins Shimoga Lok Sabha seat.