The Indian National Congress (INC)’s P Puttanna has beaten AP Ranganath in the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency, in a bye-poll that was being gauged as a test of strength for the newly formed alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) [(JD(S)]. The BJP had agreed to field the JD(S)’ legal cell president Ranganath in the bye-polls held on February 16, based on the two parties’ decision to join hands ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Puttanna beat Ranganath by 1,507 votes.

The bye-polls had to be held because Puttanna, who had previously been the BJP’s MLC, resigned from his post to join the Congress ahead of the Karnataka elections last year. He had previously been with the JD(S), and had won the elections from the constituency four times before. 

Ranganath, meanwhile, held that it was his personal defeat and not the defeat of the alliance. “The government has misused the government officers and pressured them. Money has played a role,” he claimed.

The counting was held on Tuesday, February 20, on the premises of the Government Arts’ College here and the Election Commission said that out of 19,152 total voters, 16,544 votes were polled.

Puttanna polled 8,260 votes and his rival Ranganath polled 6,753 votes, while 1,239 votes were rejected.

With IANS inputs