Cong 1 seat short of majority in Kolar zilla panchayat

JD(S) loses four ZP constituencies, BJP retains six seats

None of the three major political parties have been able to secure an absolute majority in the elections to the Kolar zilla panchayat.

Of the 30 ZP seats, Congress has secured the highest number of seats (15), followed by JD(S) with 10 seats and BJP has managed to get five seats. A party has to have 16 members in order to capture power on its own at the zilla panchayat.

The JD(S), which was in power for the last term has been shown the doors this time while Congress has more than doubled its tally from seven to 15 seats. The JD(S) has lost four seats compared to the previous term. The BJP has managed to maintain status quo.

Of the five taluk panchayats in Kolar district, the JD(S) has upper hand in Srinivaspur, Malur and Kolar while it is the BJP in Bangarpet and Congress in Mulbagal taluk.
Out of the 111 taluk panchayat constituencies in Kolar district, the JD(S) has won 48, Congress 43, BJP 17 and three seats have been secured by the independents.

Roopakala, the daughter of Lok Sabha member K H Muniyappa, has tasted defeat in Parandahalli zilla panchayat constituency. She has been trounced by former MLA Y Sampangi’s daughter Ashwini (granddaughter of sitting MLA,Y Ramakka). The BJP had an advantage in this constituency as the JD(S) did not field any candidate.

Roopakala was projected as the ZP president candidate even before the elections. Her defeat has dealt a strong blow to the Congress.

Similarly, the JD(S) is rattled by the defeat of its two sitting members - G Mangamma and Chowdeshwari - who had also functioned as the zilla panchayat president.

Slender margins
JD(S) candidate from Huttur zilla panchayat, Mangamma, has been defeated by margin of 151 votes while the party candidate from Kyalanur, Chowdeshwari has tasted defeat by a margin of 464 votes. Rajarajeshwari, also of the JD(S) has been defeated by 351 votes in Narasapura constituency.

The pact between Independent MLA Varthur Prakash and the Congress has had its effect in the taluk. The camp headed by Varthur has suffered considerable setback. Prakash and his bete noire former minister K Srinivasa Gowda of the JD(S) had considered the election as a prestige issue. However, neither of them could be happy with the election outcome. While JD(S) has secured good results in taluk panchayat elections, voters have favoured Varthur Prakash in the ZP polls.