The urban local bodies (ULB) poll results have dealt huge blow to the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) with the party losing badly in its strongholds of Ramanagar, Mandya and Hassan districts of the old Mysore region.
The party has managed to win a total 905 seats – about 597 seats less compared to its 2007 tally of 1,502 seats.
The party’s worst performance has been in Ramanagar district, which is part of the JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy’s Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency. Its strength in the district has nosedived to 40 seats from 74 in 2007. The party has lost out Ramanagar CMC and Magadi TP to the Congress.
It has only managed to save its face in Channapatna CMC by winning 16 seats. The party is planning to field Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of Kumaraswamy, from Channapatna in the coming Assembly elections.
Of the total 180 seats in Hassan district, the JD(S) has won 90 seats, which is 36 less compared to 2007 ULB polls. It has lost its base in Arasikere, Holenarasipura, Sakaleshpura and Channarayapatna (all TMCs). The party’s loss is the Congress’ gain in the district. The Congress has won a total of 55 seats, which is 22 seats more that its 2007 tally.
Ditto is the scene in Mandya for the party, whose tally has come down to 61 from 82 during the last polls. The party has lost seats mainly in Nagamangala, Pandavapura (both TPs), Srirangapatna (TMC) and Mandya (CMC). In Mysore, Tumkur, Chikkaballapur, Koppal, Bidar, Bijapur and Gulbarga, too, the party’s performance has been poor.
The JD(S) had actually hoped that its performance in the old-Mysore region would improve in view of its stand on the Cauvery river water sharing issue. The party was of the view that the Congress would face the wrath of people in the region for not doing enough to protect the interest of the State. But, its calculation has proved to be wrong. However, the JD(S) has done well in Kolar district, where it has won 58 wards of the 166 wards, 18 more compared to its performance in 2007 polls.
Reacting to the results, Kumaraswamy said the results do not reflect the mood of people as only about 20 per cent of electorate has voted in this election. So, there is no need for analysing the results. The party’s performance in North Karnataka districts of Bidar and Gulbarga has improved. The JD(S) will rectify its mistakes in the ULB polls and prepare for the coming Assembly polls, he added.
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