Congress claims big win in Karnataka urban local body polls

Bengaluru, December 30

The results of 58 Urban Local Bodies (ULB), 57 gram panchayats and bypolls of 9 wards (ULB) across Karnataka have thrown mixed results for the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party.

Both claimed victory saying that they have the majority and confidence of the people.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Congress emerged victorious in 500 wards, against the 435 won by the ruling BJP. The JD(S) bagged only 45 wards.

Surjewala congratulated Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, the MLAs and all senior leaders of the party on the electoral outcome.

The elections to ULBs which were delayed by three years were held on December 27. After counting of votes started, trends indicated a close fight between the BJP and the Congress.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah claimed that this result shows that people are dejected with the BJP government. The results have shown that they can’t win elections with money power, he said.

“To elections held for 1,187 seats of local bodies across the state, the Congress has won more than 500 seats and BJP has managed to win 434 seats and JD(S) won 45 seats. More than 100 local bodies have thrown up fractured mandate. There is a wave for the Congress in the state,” Siddaramaiah explained.

Congress president DK Shivakumar went on to say that the results of local body elections reflected the mood of the people of Karnataka.

“This is the victory of the Congress and the people of the state. Not only have the rural people but people in urban areas also shown their support to the party,” he stated.

“They have reposed faith in us and we will deliver their expectations in future,” he said.

Reacting to Siddaramaiah’s claims, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress has managed to win a few city corporation seats where minorities are more in number.

“Let them not rejoice with that. We have won more gram panchayat seats. The results are also favourable in city corporations. BJP is going to come back to power in 2023, let Siddaramaiah and Congress not worry about that,” he stated.

However, CM Bommai suffered a setback as Congress managed to win the Bankapura Municipality which comes in the Shiggavi constituency of Haveri district which he represents. The Congress has won in 14 wards, BJP in 7 and 2 independent candidates have also won. Similarly, Guttala City Municipal Corporation of Haveri taluk has also gone the Congress way.

In the Vijayapura district among the 6 City Municipal corporations, three have been won by the Congress. Vijayapura district is considered the bastion of the BJP. In the Belagavi district also, the BJP has failed to sweep elections and Congress has gained upper hand. —Agencies