C N Manjunath Defeats D K Suresh in Bangalore Rural: A Setback for Karnataka Congress

D K Suresh, the brother of Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, faced a surprising defeat in Bangalore Rural constituency by BJP's C N Manjunath. The loss, by 2,69,647 votes, is seen as a significant setback. Manjunath, an eminent cardiologist and son-in-law of ex-Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is new to elections.

D K Suresh, the brother of Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar, suffered a surprising defeat in the Bangalore Rural constituency by BJP's C N Manjunath on Tuesday. This loss is seen as a major setback for the ruling party in Karnataka.

At 58 and a three-time MP, Suresh was the only Congress candidate who secured a win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. However, he lost by a staggering margin of 2,69,647 votes. Manjunath, who polled 10,79,002 votes against Suresh's 8,09,355, is a first-time contestant.

A prominent cardiologist and former Director of the government-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Manjunath is also the son-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and the brother-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. Manjunath’s election victory has set significant political ripples, backed by a heavy BJP campaign highlighting his potential as a cabinet minister or even Union Health Minister.