BJP rides on Modi wave to win 18 out of 21 seats in coastal Karnataka

Coastal Karnataka is considered to be the most polarised region in the state because of incidents of political murders, communal riots and moral policing

Riding a Modi wave, the BJP has swept coastal Karnataka by winning 18 out of 21 assembly seats there, regaining control over the region known as a communal tinderbox.

BJP workers celebrate the party's lead in Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 outside the party office in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

The Congress managed to secure only three seats, down from 13 seats, while JD(S) failed to open its account this election as well.

It may be noted that BJP had bagged 14 seats during 2008 assembly poll, when it first formed a government in the state, but it fell sharply to five in 2013 due to a split in the party.

Coastal Karnataka is considered to be the most polarised region in the state because of incidents of political murders, communal riots and moral policing. It is also the bastion of the Muslim groups PFI and SDPI.

Out of eight seats in Dakshina Kannada district in 2018 assembly poll, Congress candidate and sitting MLA U T Abdul Khader won Mangalore seat by 19,739 seats, defeating BJP’s Santhosh Kumar Rai Boliyaru, as per the official data.

The other seven seats in the district were won by BJP candidates Rajesh Naik (from Bantwal), Bharath Shetty (Mangalore north), Vedavyas Kamath (Mangalore south), Umanatha A Kotian (Moodabidri), Sanjeev Matandoor (Puttur), Angara S (Sullia) and Harish Poonja (Bethangady).

Out of six seats in Uttara Kannada district, BJP won four seats -- Sunil Biliya Naik (Bhatkal), Roopali Santosh Naik (Karwar), Dinakar Keshav Shetty (Kumta) and Kageri Visheshwar Hegde (Sirsi)

Congress’s R V Deshpande retained Haliyal seat and A H Shivaram won from Yellapur.

Whereas in Udupi district, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started the election campaign, the BJP secured all five seats this time, up from one seat from last poll.

B M Sukumar Shetty (Byndoor), V Sunil Kumar (Karkala), Lalaji R Mendon (Kapu), Haladi Srinivas Shetty (Kundapura) and Raghupati Bhat (Udupi) from the BJP won the seats here.

In Kodagu, BJP candidates Appachu Ranjan M P won from Madikeri and K G Bopiah from Virajpet seat.

Though emerging as the single largest party, the BJP is short of the majority mark 112. Congress has extended support to JD(S) to form the government in the southern state.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)