Hassan: In a rude shock to the ruling BJP, the party lost the prestigious Hassan seat with its candidate and sitting MLA Preetham Gowda losing the seat to H.P. Swaroop of the JD(S), while the Congress came a poor third.

The Constituency has gained all the more attention as BJP’s Preetham Gowda had challenged JD(S) Supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s family to wrest the seat from him. Now Preetham has lost out on the challenge, with Swaroop of the JD(S) winning the seat by a comfortable margin.

Swaroop is the son of former MLA late H.P. Prakash, whom Preetham had defeated in the 2018 polls to become Hassan MLA.