Karnataka: Upper hand for Congress in urban local bodies polls

The Congress has bagged the highest number of seats across six urban local bodies (ULBs), whose election results were declared Tuesday.

Of the 167 seats in the city municipal councils of Hoskote, Chikkaballapur, Hunsur and Siruguppa, the town panchayat of Tekkalakote and town municipal council of Sindhagi, the Congress won 69, leaving the BJP second at 59 followed by the JD(S) with 15. The Independents and other smaller parties won
24 seats. Polling for these ULBs was held on February 9 with a voter turnout of 73.69%.

For the Congress, which is facing a leadership crisis after the drubbing it got in the December 2019 bypolls, the ULB results brought some solace. “Of the four city municipal councils, the Congress has won a clear majority in two and highest number of seats in one. This clearly shows that the party is very much strong at the grassroots level,” Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah said.

According to sources, the Congress is all set to take control of Chikkaballapur, Hunsur, Siruguppa (CMCs) and Sindhagi (TMC).

The BJP, however, swept the Hoskote CMC election by winning 22 of the 31 seats. This is being seen as a setback for Hoskote legislator Sharath Bachegowda, who won the December 2019 bypoll as a BJP rebel. This is also being seen as “sweet revenge” for BJP’s M T B Nagaraj, whom Sharath defeated.

In Chikkaballapur CMC, the Congress won 16 out of 31 seats. The BJP managed only nine, despite winning the December bypoll in which K Sudhakar, earlier with the Congress, became the Chikkaballapur MLA. In the Hunsur CMC, the BJP won just three, whereas the Congress bagged 14 out of 31 seats and is expected to take control with the help of five independents and two others.