K Raghupathi Bhat, three-term BJP MLA of Udupi.
| Photo Credit: H S MANJUNATH
Former Udupi MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat, who contested the Legislative Council elections from South West Graduates’ constituency as an independent candidate, was placed in the third position. Mr. Bhat, a three-term MLA, got 7,039 votes of the 61,382 valid votes cast in the constituency.
The BJP candidate Dr. Dhananjaya Sarji, a doctor from Shivamogga, won the polls by defeating Congress candidate Ayanur Manjunath by a margin of 24,111 votes. Dr. Sarji got 37,627 votes while Mr. Manjunath secured 13,516 votes.
Of the total 66,497 votes cast in the constituency, 5,115 votes were rejected.
Congress rebel too loses polls
S. P. Dinesh, who was the rebel candidate of the Congress in the same constituency too lost. He got 2,518 votes, and was placed in fourth position.
Mr. Manjunath, who had won the seat earlier on the BJP ticket six years ago, resigned a year ago, quit the BJP and had joined the Congress.
The results were declared late on June 6 in Mysuru where the counting was held. The Regional Commissioner of Mysuru G. C. Prakash, who was the Election Officer, announced the results.
Mr. Bhat, who has been expelled from the BJP, had accused the BJP of fielding a junior. He pointed out that Dr. Sarji had joined the saffron party a year ago, just ahead of the Assembly elections in May 2023. He would not have contested the polls had the BJP fielded a senior worker of the party.
He jumped into the fray as the BJP did not field any candidate from the coastal belt in the South West Graduates’ constituency and as well as in the South West Teachers’ constituency. The BJP had completely ignored the coastal belt, its stronghold, in the selection of candidates, Mr. Bhat said.
Mr. Bhat promised to continue serving the people of Udupi Assembly constituency as well as South West Graduates’ constituency.
On June 7, K. Udaya Kumar Shetty, in-charge of Mangaluru division of BJP, said that the victory of Dr. Sarji and S. L. Bhoje Gowda, candidate of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP combine in South West Teachers’ constituency, has proved again that the division is the stronghold of the saffron party. “The division, comprising Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, is the citadel of Hindutva and the BJP,” he said.
