Karnataka By-Election Results 2019: We have accepted defeat, says D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru, Dec 09: The Congress party has conceded defeat in the Karnataka bypolls held on 5 December.

"We have to agree with the mandate of the voters of these 15 constituencies. People have accepted the defectors. We have accepted defeat, I don't think we have to be disheartened," said Congress leader D K Shivakumar.

The ruling BJP has taken an early lead in 10 out of 15 Assembly constituencies that went for bypolls on December five, as the counting of votes was taken up on Monday.

Initial trends showed the Congress and JD(S) were ahead in two seats, while the independent candidate was maintaining lead in Hoskote.

BJP candidates who are leading are- Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur), Anand Singh (Vijayanagara), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Shrimant Patil (Kagwad), K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapura), Mahesh Kumthalli (Athani), Arun Kumar Guttur (Ranebennur), Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout) and Byrathi Basavaraj (K R Puram).

Congress nominees H P Manjunath (Hunsur) and Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagar) were leading; JD(S)' B L Devaraj and Javarayi Gowda were ahead in K R Pete and Yeshwanthpura respectively.