Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha Election Result 2024 LIVE: Will Captain Brijesh Chowta retain BJP fort or Congress spring surprise?

The Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, surrounded by the Arabian Sea, saw a tight contest between Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Captain Brijesh Chowta and the Congress' Padmaraj R Poojari. 

In the constituency, the BJP has dropped sitting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and chosen Captain Brijesh Chowta instead. Kateel was dropped due to BJP workers' claim of him "ignoring" them and not meeting them.

He has also been facing anti-incumbency in his seat after the brutal murder of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru in Mangalore. Local BJP leaders are upset with how he handled the case. 

About Captain Brijesh Chowta, Padmaraj R Poojari

Captain Brijesh Chowta joined the BJP in 2013 as a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) member. At present, he is the party's state secretary in Karnataka. He has also served as the District General Secretary of Dakshina Kannada. 

Besides this, Chowta is a former Indian Army officer who has served for 7 years from 2003 to 2010. After passing out from the Officer Training Academy, he was commissioned into the 7th Battalion of 8 Gorkha Rifles.

During his military stint, he has served in the counter insurgency operations in Manipur and Assam respectively. 

Padmaraj Poojari, on the other hand, has been politically groomed under the Congress veteran Janardhan Poojary. He has a BA degree from the Sacred Heart College in Madanthyar and has also earned a Law Degree. 

During his campaign, Poojari has condemned the BJP's "divisive politics" and emphasises the need for communal harmony. He also aims to attract investments, create jobs and restore the past glory of the constituency. 

Dakshina Kannada demography, assembly segments

The Lok Sabha seat, which came into existence after the 2008 delimitation exercise, has a 53 per cent rural and 47 per cent urban population. The constituency has around 8 per cent scheduled caste (SC) and around 4 per cent scheduled tribe (ST) population. 

The Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency has eight assembly segments-- Belthangady, Moodabidri, Mangalore City North, Mangalore City South, Mangalore, Bantval, Puttur, and Sullia (SC).