Mysuru:  Former Minister Adagur H. Vishwanath, who was fed up with the functioning style of Congress leaders and had quit the party last year to join the JD(S) registered a comfortable victory over Congress candidate H.P. Manjunath by a margin of 8,575 votes.

Vishwanath who had openly ridiculed the working style of Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and come out of the party, contested from Hunsur where there are 2,24,558 voters.

On May 12 election, 1,85,342 voters had exercised their franchise recording 82.54 per cent voting. Including the Congress, BJP and JD(S), a total of 15 candidates were in the fray. However, Vishwanath managed to overcome all of them and register a victory.

His rival Manjunath had already won twice in this constituency and was planning on a hat-trick. The leaders of all the three main parties canvassed in Hunsur for their respective candidates. But the preferred choice of the Constituency voters was Vishwanath.

He led from the first round till the last one. In every round his lead increased. In the first round if JD(S) got 5,931 votes, Congress could get 4,007 and BJP just 511. In the second round JD(S) got 11,333 votes, Congress 7,255 and BJP 819 votes. In the third round while JD(S) got 16,300, Congress got 10,572 and BJP 1,459.

In the fifth round Vishwanath of JD(S) got 36,219 votes, Congress’ H.P. Manjunath 27,516 and BJP’s G.S. Ramesh Kumar 2,298. The eighth round saw JD(S) getting 40,512 votes, Congress 31,953 and BJP 2,668 votes.

Vishwanath continued to maintain the lead as the counting entered the ninth round with him recording 44,774 vote, Congress 36,237 and BJP 3,144 votes. By the end of 12th round JD(S) got 57,657, Congress 49,744 and BJP 4,176 votes.

As the counting entered the 14th round, Vishwanath had 67,648 votes in his kitty, Manjunath 57,989 and Ramesh Kumar 4,692. In the 15th round JD(S) had 71,828, Congress 62,032 and BJP 5,001 votes. The 17th round saw JD(S) getting 80,584, Congress 72,423 and BJP 5,769 votes. In the penultimate 19th round JD(S) got 89,492 votes, Congress 81,207 and BJP 6,301 votes.

The final 20th round saw Vishwanath ahead as he recorded 91,667 votes, while his main rival Manjunath had to be satisfied with 83,902 and Ramesh Kumar was a distant third with 6,406 votes. Finally, Vishwanath emerged a satisfying winner.

Siddharamaiah’s arrogance dented: Adagur H. Vishwanath who addressed the press persons yesterday after his victory was announced said, “The election results in Mysuru district is a befitting reply to the arrogance shown by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah throughout the election campaign.

The voters in Chamundeshwari have taught him a befitting lesson. And also his claims that he is the end all and be all of everything have been punctured. The regional party JD(S) has emerged with highest number of winners in the district thus putting the CM in his place.”

He also thanked his voters, supporters and party workers for his win.