Karnataka Assembly Election: BJP defeats Congress by 16 votes in Bengaluru's Jayanagar in late night drama

Karnataka Assembly Election: After multiple rounds of counting and late night drama in Bengaluru's Jayanagar constituency, the Election Commission declared the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate CK Ramamurthy winner. He defeated Congress rival Sowmya Reddy by a slender margin of 16 votes.

The result was announced after multiple rounds of recounting amid protests by the Congress at the R V Institute of Management in Jayanagar assembly constituency in Bengaluru.

According to the EC website, Congress's Sowmya Reddy got 57,781 votes (47.85 per cent vote share) and C K Ramamurthy secured 57,797 votes.

BJP, Congress on tenterhooks

Till late Saturday night, candidates and workers of BJP and Congress were on tenterhooks as Congress candidate Soumya Reddy was holding a narrow lead over Ramamurthy.

After rounds of counting, Reddy was holding a narrow 294 lead over Ramamurthy. While Congress workers celebrated, the BJP demanded a recount. Election officials agreed.

Officials accused of distorting result

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar accused the election commission officials of trying to distort the result.

"The Congress candidate of Jayanagar Assembly Constituency Mrs. Soumya Reddy has won but protested against the action of the election officials who tried to distort the result on the pretext of recount," Shivakumar said, tweeting a picture of him seated with state working president Ramalinga Reddy. Ramalinga Reddy is the father of Sowmya Reddy.

Tension prevailed at the R V Institute of Management in Jayanagar where the counting was taking place. DK Shivakumar and other party leaders staged a demonstration outside the polling booth, demanding justice. They alleged misuse of government machinery to favour Ramamurthy.

There was tight security as Bengaluru police and reserve cops guarded all the roads leading to the counting centre.

Tension before result

After hours of tense wait, BJP's C K Ramamurthy was declared the winner with a thin margin of 16 votes.

"The result was announced by the officials at the Counting Centre at S S M R V College in Jayanagar late tonight," a state Information Department official said in a statement.

Earlier, the poll panel ordered recounting of postal ballots in Jayanagar where Reddy was in close contest with BJP's CK Ramamurthy.

An EC official said the recounting of postal ballots was ordered following an appeal by Ramamurthy.

According to sources, DK Shivakumar also filed with a complaint with the poll body regarding the same.

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