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In Karnataka many bigwigs bite the dust

The warring factions of the Janata Dal in Karnataka paid dearly as many of their heavy-weights fell by the wayside in the just-concluded elections in the state.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda (Hassan) and Chief Minister J H Patel (Chennagiri) led the long list of leaders vanquished at the hustings. While Gowda, who led the Janata Dal-Secular lost in his home constituency to his one-time political understudy Puttasamy Gowda by over 100,000 votes, Patel finished a poor third. Another bigwig of the JD-S to taste defeat was former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah (Chamundeshwari).

Many of Patel's cabinet colleagues also bit the dust as they were swept away in the onslaught of a resurgent Congress. Among the ministers who lost were urban development minister M S Patel (Raichur), sugar minister Shivappa (Harihar), high-profile irrigation minister K N Nage Gowda (Kirugaval) and animal husbandry minister B B Ningaiah.

The BJP, considered a major contender for power, also suffered upsets with its state president B S Yediyurappa himself losing his home seat of Shikaripur. His trusted colleague K S Eshwarappa lost in the neighbouring Shimoga. While Union Minister Babu Gowda Patil was defeated in Belgaum, former deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha Mallikarjunaiah lost in Tumkur.

UNI

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