 "KPCC President Parameshwar loses")
Ashok Kheny, managing director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is implementing the Bangalore Mysore Expressway, has won from the Bidar South assembly constituency as an independent candidate.
Kheny has been working on this Rs 3,500 crore highway project for the past nearly 20 years. He is at loggerheads with H D Deve Gowda, former prime minister over how this project should be carried with Deve Gowda vehemently opposing land allocation for the project. Kheny has managed to get investments from global financial institutions J P Morgan as well as from Anil Ambani of ADAG Group.
Congress has won 121 till 15:20 hours. With this the party has crossed the magical number of 113 and is set to form the next government on its own. The counting at the remaining 21 seats is still progressing.
Of these, it is leading in nine seats. The prominent leaders from the Congress, who have won the election include Siddaramaiah, Ramesh Kumar, Ambareesh, R V Deshpande, Anil Lad, D K Shivakumar, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, H K Patil among others.