The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and supporters of Melkote legislature the late K.S. Puttannaiah were shocked by the defeat of Swaraj India candidate Darshan Puttannaiah in the elections to Melkote constituency.
Incumbent MP and Janata Dal (Secular) leader C.S. Puttaraju has emerged victorious.
Mr. Darshan had received tremendous support from the KRRS and locals, especially from women and youngsters, across the constituency ever since he resorted to contest the elections in March. His father passed away on February 28, 2018 due to cardiac arrest.
Cutting across the party affiliations, Mr. Darshan had been receiving blessings from the people continuously. His defeat has jolted the KRRS, said Shambhunahalli Suresh, KRRS’s district unit chief. Mr. Darshan secured 73,779 votes and Mr. Puttaraju 96,003 votes.
It has been alleged that Mr. Puttaraju was indulging in illegal stone quarrying activities.
The “anti-Darshan campaign” terming him as an “outsider and citizen of U.S.” was conducted across the constituency recently, another senior KRRS leader said. That had prompted Mr. Darshan to take an oath of not leaving the district in front of his father’s samadhi at Kyathanahalli near Pandavapura, which was recorded and sent to the people recently.
