ULB polls: JD(S) down, but not out, says Kumaraswamy
A stumbling JD(S) managed to win just 45 out of the 1,184 seats in the urban local body (ULB) elections, whose results came out on Thursday. Still, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy chose to see a silver lining.
Kumaraswamy said the JD(S), which has faced a series of electoral setbacks, can spring back strongly in the 2023 Assembly elections, in which it wants to win 123 seats.
The results, according to him, show that JD(S) candidates won in some places against many odds.
“In Chikkamagaluru, nobody can come to power without the support of the JD(S). This is the case in many other ULBs,” he pointed out.
“We won two seats in Sandur (Kurekuppa town municipal council) and (four) seats in the Devarahippargi town panchayat. Our workers fought on their own. In the coastal region, in Kaup town municipal council where we had no base, we have won one seat. In Sira, where we faced a setback in the Assembly polls, we have won seven seats,” he said.
“In 2023, with the blessings of the people, we will upset everybody’s predictions, including those of political pundits. The next one year will be dedicated towards building the party organization. We’re formulating programmes to win the confidence of the people,” Kumaraswamy said.
A big relief for Kumaraswamy is that the JD(S) managed to retain the Bidadi town municipal council by winning 14 out of the 23 seats.
The Congress, which was keen on taking control of Bidadi, won only nine, despite Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh and former Magadi MLA H C Balakrishna sweating it out there.
“Bidadi is the place that gave me political birth,” Kumaraswamy said.
The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM also registered two wins in the Kolhar town panchayat in Vijayapura.
The SDPI won six seats - one each in Chikkamagaluru CMC, Vittal and Kotekaru TPs and three in Kaup TMC.
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