Bypoll tests BSY govt’s strength

There was brisk polling to 11 of the 15 constituencies in the byelections in Karnataka today. As in the past, four of the Bengaluru Urban seats witnessed poor turnout. But in the other constituencies, the polling was a healthy 65 percent. The results will be out on December 9 and this will decide the fate of the four-month-old CM BS

Yediyurappa-led BJP government.

The seats fell vacant after 17 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD(S) parties defected to the BJP in a bid to bring down the coalition government and pave the way for a BJP led government.

The MLAs were subsequently disqualified from the house but allowed to contest today's polls. Elections to two seats — Rajarajeshwari Nagar

and Maski — are not being held today as separate election petitions challenging the results of the 2018 elections are pending in the Karnataka High Court.

In 13 of the 15 seats, the BJP has fielded Congress-JD(S) turncoats. The Yediyurappa government needs to win at least six of the 15 seats, or seven out of 17, to retain its majority. The BJP is confident of winning all the 15 seats, but the ground reality is that the party is facing a stiff battle from the Congress and the JD(S) and may end up bagging only 8 seats.

The Congress accused the BJP of distributing cash to voters on the polling day in Bengaluru constituencies of KR Puram, Yeshwantpur and Yellapur constituencies. A video of the act went viral on social media and news channels.