No clean sweep for Cong in any minister's Assembly seat

The performance of five ministers from Bengaluru and some influential MLAs has come under scrutiny following the unexpected Congress’s defeat in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, whose results were announced on Tuesday.

No minister has managed to ensure a clean sweep in his Assembly constituency or make a big impact on his neighbouring Assembly segments. The only solace for them is they ensured the Congress party topped the overall tally in their respective constituency.

For instance, the BJP did well in Bommanahalli and Jayanagar, which adjoin BTM Layout represented by Ramalinga Reddy, who is Bengaluru in-charge minister.

Similarly, the saffron party has done well in Shanthinagar, which abuts onto Shivajinagar represented by R Roshan Baig. Interestingly, Shanthinagar is represented by Congress MLA, N A Haris. In this segment, the BJP has won four wards, and the Congress just two. Ditto with Gandhinagar which is represented by Dinesh Gundu Rao.

While the Congress party won five wards each in BTM Layout (represented by Reddy), Gandhinagar (Rao), Shivajinagar (Baig), Sarvagnagar (George), it secured victory in four wards in Byatarayanapura (Krishna Byre Gowda’s constituency) compared to just one in 2010.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was heavily banking on the five ministers for a good show in the BBMP polls. Sources in the Congress said the party wanted all its MLAs in Bengaluru to secure at least one more ward compared to 2010. The ministers were asked to take care of their neighbouring constituencies too.

Only Reddy and Gundu Rao managed to retain five wards the Congress had won the last time. The party’s tally in Shivajinagar and Sarvagnagar Assembly segments went up by just one ward each.

The Congress has done badly in Govindarajanagar (2), Vijayanagar (2), Shanthinagar (2) and Chickpet (3) constituencies. The only exception is KR Puram where it won six out of nine wards. B A Basavaraj, a confidant of Siddaramaiah, represents KR Puram.