It is just 1.05 per cent votes that made all the difference between the triumphant BJP and the crestfallen Congress in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, results of which were announced on Tuesday.
The BJP, which emerged victorious by winning 100 wards of the total 198 wards, has secured 37,625 more votes than its principal rival Congress. Actually the ruling Congress' performance has improved compared to the last BBMP elections held in 2010 – the party’s total vote share has shot up to 39.30 per cent from 35.04 per cent votes secured in 2010, reveal detailed poll results released by the BBMP on Wednesday.
The ruling party’s debacle has come as a setback to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had high stakes in this poll. The Congress high command had entrusted the entire responsibility of conducting the election to the chief minister. He had led the party' campaign and deputed majority of his ministerial colleagues on poll duty by assigning them specific responsibility. But the party managed to win 76 seats, against 65 in 2010 polls.
The saffron party does not have much to cheer about if its performance in terms of increase in vote share and number of seats won is anything to go by. The party has won 11 seats less compared to 2010, and increase in vote share is just 1.56 per cent in this election compared to its performance in 2010. The JD (S), too, has to do some serious brooding. The party's vote share has reduced from 15 per cent in 2010 to 13.68 per cent in 2015. Its strength has also decreased from 15 seats in 2010 to 14 in 2015.
The reaction of the Congress and the BJP to the narrow winning margin is diametrically opposite. State Congress chief G Parameshwara said the party cannot dismiss the difference as marginal because the end result is that the party could not wrest power in the BBMP council. In terms of seats, it was a big blow to the party.
