BENGALURU: Support from unexpected quarters—former BJP minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, coupled with the sympathy factor, helped Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad emerge victorious in Shivajinagar Assembly constituency by a margin of 13, 521 votes despite his beta noire and former minister R Roshan Baig’s efforts to ensure his defeat, on Monday.
The Congress candidate, who lost two successive Lok Sabha polls (Bengaluru (Central), also got help from party leaders and friends including former ministers Krishna Byre Gowda and Zameer Ahmed Khan, and legislator N A Harris in the bypoll.
Mr Baig who had mocked at Mr Rizwan Arshad during Lok Sabha polls, and invited the wrath of senior Congress leaders for describing party general secretary K C Venugopal as “buffoon” post this year’s general elections, could not dent the prospects of the winner though he campaigned for M Saravana of BJP. Earlier, Mr Rizwan Arshad had thrown the gauntlet at Mr Baig, challenging him to contest on a BJP ticket, post the latter’s outbursts against Mr Venugopal, CLP leader Mr Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Mr Dinesh Gundu Rao.
