The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was able to maintain the lead in its stronghold — the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi — in coastal Karnataka with its candidates leading in 11 out of 13 constituencies.
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BJP was leading in Mangaluru City North and South, Moodbidri, Belthangady, Bantwal and Sullia in Dakshina Kannada, Byndoor, Kundapura, Udupi, Kaup and Karkala in Udupi district. Congress was leading in Mangaluru (Ullal) and Puttur, both in Dakshina Kannada.
Ashok Kumar Rai from the Congress was leading in Puttur, that could have been the lead for the BJP, by a small margin against the BJP rebel, independent candidate Arun Kumar Puthila. While Mr. Rai polled 52,255 votes at the end of the 13th round, Mr. Puthila polled 51,999 votes while the BJP candidate Asha Thimmappa was pushed to the third position by polling 31,304 votes.
Another key constituency, Bantwal, where former minister B. Ramanath Rai of the Congress is testing his fortunes for the 9th time, the Congress candidate is trailing by about 7,000 votes against the BJP candidate. While Mr. Rai has polled 51,210 votes, incumbent Rajesh Naik has polled 58,283 votes at the end of the 11th round.
Minister V. Sunil Kumar of the BJP has maintained a lead of about 2,000 votes in Karkala against Muniyalu Uday Shetty of the Congress at the end of the 14th round by polling 70,710 votes as against 67,458 votes secured by Mr. Shetty.
Incumbent U.T. Khader of the Congress was leading in Mangaluru (Ullal) by polling 51,372 votes against the BJP candidate Satish Kumpala who polled 32,181 votes. Mr. Khader was the Minister for Health in the Siddaramaiah government and was the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly.
In Moodbidri, incumbent Umanath Kotian was leading by polling 51,212 votes against Mithun Rai of the Congress who secured 36,616 votes in while in Belthangady, incumbent Harish Poonja has polled 92,127 votes against Rakshith Shivaram of the Congress, who has polled 75,737 votes at the end of the 16th round.
Bhagirathi Marulya of the BJP was leading in Sullia (SC) by polling 73,598 votes against G. Krishnappa of the Congress, who polled 49,264 votes at the end of the 13th round. BJP had denied ticket to incumbent and Minister S. Angara, who had represented Sullia six times.
