The BJP was elated on Thursday as it received a thumbs-up yet again for Operation Lotus with party candidate Karadi Sanganna winning the Koppal assembly by-poll, with a margin of 12,488 votes in the first by-poll held after DV Sadananda Gowda took over as the chief minister.
Sanganna polled 60,405 votes as against 47,917 by K Basavaraj Hitnal of Congress. Pradeep Gowda Malipatil of JD(S) finished third with 20,719 votes. For Sanganna, who was a JD(S) MLA before switching loyalties to the BJP, this is the fourth victory in five assembly elections he has so far contested from Koppal.
The ruling party’s winning streak in by-polls comes despite being hit by a spate of scams and also allegations of turning a blind eye to illegal mining in the state, which forced the exit of BS Yeddyurappa.
The BJP’s victory has boosted Gowda’s confidence, but the celebrations have triggered a fresh competition within the party to claim credit for the victory. It was Yeddyurappa who had led the BJP campaign in Koppal much against the wishes of his detractors in the party by camping in the constituency for a week. Yeddyurappa’s supporters jumped into action to credit the victory to former chief minister and have revived the cry for Yeddyurappa’s return to helm at the earliest.
Excise minister MP Renukacharya celebrating the victory at Yeddyurappa’s residence, said, “The credit for victory should go to Yeddyurappa. He should lead the party in the next assembly polls, if BJP wants to win.”
Sanganna attributed the victory to Yeddyurappa government’s achievements on development front in the last three years. But party state president KS Eshwarappa and home minister R Ashoka strongly disapproved the view and termed it a victory for the ideology of the party and collective leadership of the state.
“BJP is not an individual-oriented party. So this is the victory of the party. People have reposed their faith in the good governance of the BJP,” said Ashoka and Eshwarappa.
Gowda sees it as a reward for several welfare programmes being implemented by the BJP government.
