Morning Breaking: BJP bastion Ballari falls, as Congress-JD(S) takes Karnataka 4-1

Signalling shrinking support for the powerful Reddy brothers and the BJP in Ballari, the Congress Tuesday regained the Ballari Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka after almost 15 years, winning the recently concluded bypoll by a margin of almost 2.5 lakh votes. The Ballari victory was icing on the cake for the ruling JD (S)-Congress alliance, which also registered thumping wins over the BJP in four of five (three Lok Sabha and two Assembly) seats in bypolls conducted on November 3. The BJP retained the Shimoga LS seat, where BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa’s son, B Y Raghavendra beat the JD (S).