Belgaum: The gamble taken by five-time Congress MLA, Prakash Hukkeri and sitting Chikkodi MP in giving up his long held seat in the legislature to make way for his son, has paid off with 36- year-old Ganesh Hukkeri defeating the BJP's Mahantesh Kavatgimath by a handsome margin of 31, 820 votes in the Chikkodi-Sadalga bypoll.
The BJP, which had vowed to "finish off" the Hukkeris was left embarassed as its candidate and experienced politician, Kavatgimath suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the young Congressman. Clearly riding on his father's popularity, Mr Ganesh Hukkeri bagged 94, 636 votes as against Mr Kavatgimath’s 62,816. The Congress, on the other hand, can afford to look smug as during his campaign for the bypoll a week ago, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had declared, “Nobody can stop the sun from rising in the east and Ganesh from winning the byelection.''
Chikkodi-Sadalga has traditionally been a Congress stronghold with Mr Prakash Hukkeri wining all the last five Assembly elections from it. Most top BJP leaders from the state had joined forces to campaign for Mr Kavatgimath in an attempt to dislodge the Hukkeris in the constituency but failed miserably, giving Mr Prakash Hukkeri much satisfaction in the process.
