In Kalyana Karnataka, Congress Wins Back Lost Ground

The Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka have left senior leaders of both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with mixed emotions. While the BJP had expected to win at least 25 out of 28 seats, it ultimately managed to win only 19 seats, six fewer than in the 2019 elections. The Congress, on the other hand, won nine seats, a significant improvement from its single seat win in 2019.

The Congress's victory in the Kalyana Karnataka region was a major highlight, with the party winning five seats from this region. This includes Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal, and Bellary, where Congress candidates defeated their BJP counterparts. In the 2019 elections, the BJP had swept the entire north Karnataka region, wiping out the Congress from it.

In Gulbarga, Congress candidate Radhakrishna Doddamani won against incumbent Umesh Jadhav with a majority of 27,205 votes. This was a significant upset for the BJP, which had launched a strong campaign in the region. The BJP had also seen a decline in its vote share in the region, from 45.42% in 2019 to 38.45% in 2024.

The Congress's victory in Kalyana Karnataka was attributed to its five guarantees and welfare schemes, which resonated with voters in the region. The party's vote share also saw a significant spike in the region, from 32.11% in 2019 to 45.43% in 2024.

The Congress's victory in Bidar was also notable, where 26-year-old Sagar Khandre, son of Karnataka minister Eshwar Khandre, won against BJP's Bhagawanth Khuba with a majority of 1,28,875 votes. He is the youngest candidate to contest in the state.

In Bellary, former Karnataka minister and senior BJP leader B Sree Ramulu faced a defeat against Congress' E Tukaram. Mining baron Gali Janaradhan Reddy's return to the BJP did not bring luck to the party.