Though both the MLAs in Kodagu are from Congress, the voters have favoured the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.
Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency BJP candidate Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wodeyar’s vote share in Kodagu was 65,403 votes. Yaduveer has won by a margin of 1,39,262 votes against Congress candidate M Lakshman.
Kodagu voters have played a vital role in the victory of Yaduveer. However, barring BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and former CM Sadananda Gowda’s visit, there was no large-scale campaign in the district. Hence, the BJP workers had not expected a good margin in the district.
BJP-JD(S) combine wins 19 in Karnataka LS polls
As expected, the BJP- JD(S) alliance bagged 19 out of the 28 segments in Karnataka though the Congress gained by winning nine Lok Sabha seats-up from just one five years ago-but failed to reach double digits.
The BJP, on its own, won 17 seats, as Karnataka voters continued their trend (since 2004) of giving the saffron party the highest number of Lok Sabha seats in the state. The JD(S) won two out of the three seats it contested.
The Congress, which stormed to power with a huge majority in the Assembly polls last year, was bullish on winning more than 10 seats, which it did last in 1999.
Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah said after the results that they didn’t get the result they expected which was15-20 seats. Our calculations went wrong, he added.
Admittedly, the Congress’ guarantees, around which the party had designed its Lok Sabha poll campaign in Karnataka, failed to yield the desired electoral benefits.
Also, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar faced setbacks as the Congress lost Mysore (CM’s native) and Bangalore Rural (where the BJP defeated Shivakumar’s brother D K Suresh).
As both parties gave their votes to each other. “The result is people’s reply to those who arrogantly chided JD(S) for having only 19 MLAs,” Kumaraswamy said.
On the other hand, Congress workers had expected better numbers as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar had visited the district during the campaign.
| Constituency and Name   | Yaduveer  | Lakshman | Difference |
| 208-Madikeri | 1,08,402 | 66994 | 41408 |
| 209-Virajpet | 99,804 | 67,353 | 32,451 |
| 210-Piriyapatna | 71,237 | 82,981 | 11,744 |
| 212-Hunsur | 95,266 | 92,198 | 3,068 |
| 215-Chamundeshwari | 1,43,327 | 1,06,083 | 37,244 |
| 216-Krishnaraja | 1,04,596 | 50,171 | 54,425 |
| 217-Chamaraja | 1,05,480 | 49,083 | 56,397 |
| 218-Narasimharaja | 62,279 | 1,38,876 | 76,597 |
| Postal votes | 5,112 | 2,502 | 2,610 |
| Total     | 7,95,503 | 6,56,241 | 1,39,262 |
