Live Bangalore South Election Results 2024: Can Congress' Sowmya Reddy defeat Tejasvi Surya in BJP bastion?

The counting of votes to begin shortly. Bangalore South is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka, located in southern India. Currently, the seat is held by Tejasvi Surya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who won against B. K. Hariprasad of the Indian National Congress (INC) by a margin of 3,31,192 votes in the 2019 general election.

Bangalore South, spread across eight Assembly constituencies, has been a BJP stronghold since 1991. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP won five of these constituencies, while the Congress won three.

Since 1977, the Congress has won this seat only once, when former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao emerged victorious in the 1989 elections.

The electorate composition of Bangalore South reflects an urban-centric demographic with a significant Hindu majority. Voter turnout has fluctuated over the years, with notable spikes in recent elections, indicating heightened political engagement.

Following the demise of Ananth Kumar in 2018, Tejasvi Surya became a prominent figure, securing a resounding victory in the 2019 elections. Surya's rise at a young age underscores the dynamic nature of Bangalore South's political landscape.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Tejasvi Surya faces a strong challenge from Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy. Sowmya, aged 41 and daughter of Minister Ramalinga Reddy, is a former MLA from Jayanagar. With the Congress aiming to wrest control from the BJP, prominent leaders like Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar are actively supporting Sowmya's campaign efforts.