The BJP also had the consolation of wresting Kollegal, around 120 km from here, from the Congress. Its candidate G.N. Nanjundaswamy defeated S. Jayanna of the Congress by a margin of 8,267 votes.

The loss of Kollegal is a setback to Congress leader Siddaramaiah, a former JD-S strongman. Kollegal is in Chamarajnagar district, neighbouring Mysore. The two districts are considered to be Siddaramaiah's pocketboroughs.

Kollegal was made the leader of the Congress legislature party, a reward for joining the party after rebelling against JD-S president and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda's 'family politics'.

JD-S retained its stronghold Ramanagara, about 50 km from here, with its candidate K. Raju defeating C.M. Lingappa of Congress by 22,019 votes.

Of the five seats, the Congress had held four and the JD-S one. The Congress has conceded two seats to the BJP and one to the JD-S.

While the Congress and the BJP contested all the five seats, the JD-S had backed the Congress in Govindarajnagar following the rejection of the nomination of its candidate.

For the Congress, the loss is all the more difficult to live with as its state stalwarts union External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and union Law Minister Veerappa Moily had extensively campaigned for the party candidates.