Congress candidate defeats BJP leader in Bellary Lok Sabha seat

The Congress party on Tuesday wrested the Bellary (reserved) Lok Sabha seat from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Bypoll had been held in the constituency on November 3.

Congress candidate V.S. Ugrappa defeated BJP's J. Shantha by a margin of 2,43,161 votes, according to the results declared by the Election Commission on its website.

The byelection was held in the Lok Sabha constituency, which has been held by the BJP since 2004, after BJP leader B. Sriramulu, elder brother of Shantha, had resigned from the seat following his election to the state Legislative Assembly from Molakalmuru in May.

Bellary was the Lok Sabha constituency where former Congress President Sonia Gandhi had defeated BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in the 1999 general elections.

Congress continued to win the seat till 2004 when the BJP wrested it and retained it till this by-poll.

The BJP had pulled all stops during campaigning to ensure the victory of Shantha, who represented the constituency from 2009-14.

(With inputs from agencies.)