After late-night drama, BJP candidate announced winner in Jayanagar; saffron party now 66, Congress 135

BENGALURU: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief D K Shivakumar staged a ‘dharna’ in front of the counting centre in Jayanagar on Saturday night alleging the misuse of government machinery to favour Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate C K Ramamurthy, who was declared winner with a narrow margin of 16 votes after seven rounds of recounting of votes.

The BJP candidate C K Ramamurthy had sought a recount after Sowmya Reddy won by a thin margin of 160 votes. Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya also insisted on a recount of votes. They were joined by R Ashoka and Ravi Subramanya.

Congress MP D K Suresh arguing with the police to be let into the counting centre in Jayanagar on Saturday night.

After seven rounds of counting at the SSMRV College, the last one being in the presence of BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, the BJP candidate was declared winner by 17 votes late on Saturday night. Sowmya Reddy and her father Ramalinga Reddy had, however, objected to it.

The BJP’s C K Ramamurthy received 57,797 votes while Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy secured 57,781 votes, thus facing defeat by 16 votes. With this, the BJP tally went up to 66 while the Congress tally came down to 135.

Congress leaders D K Shivakumar, V Ugrappa, Ramalinga Reddy and D K Suresh staged a protest outside the counting centre.

Shivakumar was accompanied by Congress workers at the counting centre in the late night protest. He alleged that BJP’s Tejasvi Surya and R Ashoka were allowed inside the counting centre.

Earlier, Congress workers shouted slogans against Surya and alleged that he had pressured the polling officials to do a recount. Congress MP D K Suresh also got into an argument with the police officials over not being allowed into the counting centre. KPCC president D K Shivakumar too arrived there with legal experts. As he headed towards the counting centre, BJP workers raised slogans saying, ‘Modi, Modi’.