Karnataka Local Polls: Congress Leads, BJP 2nd

The Congress turned in an impressive performance in the elections held to 102 urban local bodies in Karnataka by emerging the single-largest party, infusing hopes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year. The Congress won 982 of the 2662 seats, while the BJP and the JDS bagged 929 and 375 seats, respectively.

The BJP, however, can take comfort from the fact that it has emerged the single largest party in the city corporations of Mysuru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru. Shivamogga is BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa’s fiefdom, and the party also has a comfortable majority here. In the other two city corporations, the Congress-JDS combine is expected to wrest power. In Udupi and Bagalkot municipal councils, the BJP has nearly swept.

AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka affairs KC Venugopal described the results as an endorsement of the Congress and an indication of voter preference in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. “I have asked the KPCC president to tell the local leadership to partner with the JDS wherever the mandate is fractured. That will keep the BJP out of power,” he told ET.


Yeddyurappa said his party fought the ruling combine impressively despite the latter “misusing official machinery and using money” in the polls. The electoral outcome, he said, will have no bearing on the Lok Sabha polls.

The results are on expected lines, said Harish Ramaswamy, political science teacher at Karnatak University, Dharwad. Voters, he said, tend to favour the party in power in local body polls.

“What I notice is that the Congress and the JDS have consolidated their respective voter constituencies rather than try to eat into the BJP votes. That’s a good strategy, and the results should cement their relationship ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.”