It was celebration time for Congress in Bidar as the party improved its strength in the district. It had won 2 seats in 2013 and another seat in the by-poll to take its tally to 3. Now it has further improved its position by securing 4 seats in the current election. BJP and JD(S) managed to bag one seat each.
As expected, Congress candidates Eshwar Khandre and Rajashekar Patil retained Bhalki and Humnabad seats with a huge margin. Mr. Khandre, Minister of State for Municipalities and Local Bodies, won by a margin of 21,438 votes defeating his immediate BJP rival D.K. Siddram. Sitting MLA of Humnabad Rajashekar Patil won by a huge margin of 31,814 votes against Subhash Kallur of BJP. Mr. Khandre polled 84,673 votes and D.K. Siddram got 63,235 in Bhalki. In Humnabad, Mr. Rajashekar Patil got 55,107 and Mr. Kallur polled 42,365 votes.
It was a triangular contest in Basavakalyan constituency where B. Narayan Rao of Congress defeated the sitting MLA, Mallikarjun Khuba of BJP, by a margin of 17,272 votes. Former Minister and six-time MLA P.G.R. Sindhia who contested on JD(S) ticket from the constituency was pushed to the third position. Mr. Narayan Rao polled 61,425 followed by Mallikarjun Khuba (44,153) and Mr. Sindhia (31,414).
In Bidar (South), the JD(S) candidate Bandeppa Kashempur defeated his nearest rival, Shailendra Beldale of BJP, by a margin of 12,742 votes. Mr. Kashempur polled 55,107 votes while Dr. Beldale got 42,365 votes. The sitting MLA and Congress nominee, Ashok Kheny, who joined the Congress a few weeks ahead of the election was pushed to third place with 35,131 votes.
In Aurad reserve constituency, sitting MLA Prabhu Chavan scored a hat-trick. He defeated Vijaykumar, the Congress nominee, by a margin of 10,592 votes. Mr. Chavan polled 75,061 votes and Mr.Vijaykumar got 64,469.
It was a nail-biting finish in Bidar constituency where sitting MLA Raheem Khan of the Congress retained the seat by a margin of 10,245 votes defeating Suryakant Nagamarpalli of BJP. Mr. Raheem Khan got 73,270 votes and Mr. Nagamarpalli got 63,025.
