BJP rides on Modi wave, bags 17 in Karnataka (Roundup)

Bangalore, May 16: An upbeat BJP Friday retained its hold in Karnataka, winning 17 of the state's 28 Lok Sabha seats riding on the popularity of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Though the party won two seats less than it had in the 2009 general election, it continued to hold sway over Bangalore by retaining all the three seats in the city in the southern, central and northern suburbs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party also bounced back after losing the state legislative assembly elections a year ago to the Congress, which managed to secure only nine seats - three more than it won in 2009.

The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) party got the remaining two seats. Former prime minister and JD-S chief H.D. Deve Goweda won from Hassan for a record sixth time.

Prominent BJP winners are five-time MP Ananth Kumar who defeated Infosys co-founder and technocrat Nandan Niekani in the high profile Bangalore South constituency, former chief ministers B.S. Yeddyurappa and D.V. Sadananda Gowda from Shimoga and Bangalore North respectively.

Nilekani lost by 229,020 votes.

BJP's P.C. Mohan (557,130 votes) won from the Bangalore Central seat against Congress' Rizwan Arshad (419,630). Former Infosys honcho and the Aam Admi Party candidate V. Balakrishna came third (39,869).

Among prominent winners from the Congress are central ministers Mallikarjun Kharge from Gulbarga (SC) seat, M. Veerappa Moily from Chikkballapur and K.H.A. Muniyappa from Kolar (SC).

Nilekani told reporters here: "I am grateful to the voters who voted for me, for their faith in me. To those who did not vote for me, I regret I was unable to win their support in the election."

Asserting that he led a hard fought campaign, Nilekani said as Bangalore would remain his priority, he would continue to work for its people though he may not have the opportunity to serve them as an MP.

Nilekani, who declared assets worth a whopping Rs.7,770 crore in the affidavit he filed, is the richest candidate across the country.

IANS