Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be losing ground in its strongholds with candidates losing or trailing in Chikmagalur, Bellary, Puttur and Madikeri constituencies.
However, among the key constituencies, Shiggaon and Shikaripura maintained a massive lead for the BJP candidates.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai maintains a massive lead in Shiggaon with securing 76,499 votes at 1 pm. While Congress's Pathan Yasirahmedkhan secured 48,244 votes. In a respite, B.S. Yediyurappa's son and BJP candidate in Vijayendra Yediyurappa secures 63,340 votes, while INC's Goni Malatesh secured only 6,899 votes at 1 pm.
"Despite lot of efforts put in by PM and BJP workers, we have not been able to make the mark. Once the full results come we will do a detailed analysis," Bommai was quoted by ANI.
Meanwhile, BJP's C.T. Ravi is trailing with 30,011 votes. While H.D. Thammaiah secured 31,814. Ravi, who is the national general secretary of the party, was four-time legislator from Chikmagalur. In 2018, Ravi emerged victorious with a margin of 26,314 votes by defeating Congress's Shankar B.L.
Also, Asha Thimmappa in Puttur constituency is trailing with 31,304 votes, while Congress's Ashok Kumar Rai gets 52,255 votes. In 2018, Puttur constituency was won by Sanjeeva Matandoor of BJP by securing 90,073, while the INC candidate secured only 70,596 votes.
Even in Madikeri, BJP candidate Appachu Ranjan is trailing with 53,860 votes, while Congress's Mantar Gowda secured 57,905 (at 1 pm). Appachu had won the 2018 election by securing 70,631 votes.
In Bellary too, BJP's B. Sreeramulu is trailing behind with 68,091 votes, while B. Nagendra of Congress secured 95,453 votes.
