Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 16: Four out of seven JD(S) legislators, who had staged open rebellion against the party leaders, voted against official nominees in the Rajya Sabha election, and fought the election as candidates of Congress party, faced reverses this time. This result and also defeat of a few more who had defected to other parties gives an indication of the fact that plans hatched by JD(S) leaders to teach a lesson to those who betrayed them were largely successful.

JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda, and state unit president, H D Kumaraswamy, were hell bent on teaching a fitting lesson to their detractors. Out of the rebels, Cheluvaraya Swamy (Nagamangala), H C Balakrishna (Magadi), Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda (Srirangapatna) and Iqbal Ansari (Gangavathi) had to taste defeat.

Zameer Ahmed Khan, Akhanda Srinivasamurthy & Bheema Naik

However, rebels, Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet Bengaluru), Akhanda Srinivasamurthy (Pulikeshi Nagar) and Bheema Naik (Hagaribommanahalli) succeeded in overcoming efforts to oust them.

It is being analyzed that bitter criticism heaped by Cheluvarayaswamy and Balakrishna against JD(S) leaders during campaigning in an area where JD(S) has strong footing worked against their interests. The ploy of JD(S) to lure Cheluvaraswamy's supporter Suresh Gowda from Congress into JD(S) and giving him a ticket to fight against the former succeeded in bearing fruit. This time, JD(S) gave ticket to A Manjunath, who was Congress candidate in Magadi constituency to fight against H C Balakrishna and succeeded in its plan. In Srirangpatna too, Raveendra Srikantaiah, who was with the Congress, was given JD(S) ticket to fight against Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda. Here too JD(S) candidate became victorious.

In Gangavathi constituency, Iqbal Ansari's admission into Congress was opposed by several local party leaders. The party went ahead and fielded him as its candidate. Although Iqbal brought several BJP leaders into Congress to boost his chances, this did not work as per his plan. BJP candidate won from this constituency.

At the same time, Manappa Vajjal (Lingusugur), and Mallikarjun Khuba of Basavakalyana constituency who were given ticket by BJP were defeated. But Dr Shivaraj Patil fielded from Raichur has won.