Karnataka municipal election results: Congress edges close battle, but BJP makes giant strides ahead of 2019 polls

Bengaluru: The Congress edged a close battle in the Karnataka municipal polls but it was the Bharatiya Janata Party that took giant strides ahead of next year’s general election.

The BJP bagged 929 seats of the 2,664 seats—34 percent—that were up for grabs in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) that went to the polls on Friday, while the Congress won 982 seats. Compare that to 2013 when the BJP won only 18 percent of seats that were up for grabs (ULB elections were held in all 4,976 seats in 2013: Congress won 1,960 seats and the BJP and the JD(S) secured 905 seats each).

The Janata Dal (Secular), which won 30 percent of seats in 2007 and 18 percent of seats in 2013, secured 375 seats (13 percent). The Congress’ winning percentage slid by 4 percent compared with its 2013 performance.  To be noted: This year, only half the seats witnessed elections. The remaining ULBs will see polls next year and the BJP lost some seats to the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP).

The polls also saw Independent candidates and small parties such as the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) making their mark. The SDPI, which has its base in Kerala, won seats in communally sensitive areas such as Ullal (six seats) and Bantwal (four seats) and in coastal areas of Dakshina Kannada. The Congress could not obtain a majority in these ULBs despite being the single largest party due to the performance of the SDPI, the JD(S) and Independent candidates.

Ullal is the Assembly constituency of Congress leader and Urban Development and Housing Minister UT Khader. The Congress saw its margins shrink the most—compared to 2013—in Dakshina Kannada district. Khader said the Congress would not forge an alliance with a communal party such as the SDPI and is content to sit on the Opposition benches. Reportedly, the newly-elected councillors met Khader on Monday afternoon and requested that he consider an alliance with the JD(S) to claim power in the Ullal city municipal council. District leaders placed the blame for the party’s poor performance squarely on Khader and his former cabinet colleague B Ramanatha Rai.

Leaders feeling the heat

Likewise, many Congress leaders along the coast, Old Mysore region, Bayaluseeme and Northern Karnataka have been blamed for the party’s poor showing. Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge said ULB elections are a small affair and this result should not be considered as people’s mandate against the party. Anand Asnotikar, a politician who has dabbled with both the BJP and the Congress in Uttara Kannada, shared Kharge’s opinion.

The Congress’ underwhelming performance in the constituencies of party heavyweights RV Deshpande and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has also seemingly left them feeling the heat. In Tumakuru (Parameshwara’s Assembly constituency) and Uttara Kannada (Deshpande’s constituency), the party threw its weight behind them.

In Shivamogga, the stronghold of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP emerged as the largest single party with 19 out of 35 seats. Senior party leader and former chief minister KS Eshwarappa is reportedly happy with the party’s performance, though he believes it could have been better. With more than half the seats in its kitty, Yeddyurappa said the BJP would form the council in Shivamogga.

In the 65-seat Mysuru City Corporation, the BJP bagged 22 seats and emerged as the single largest party. Both the JD(S) and Congress won 19 seats each. JD(S) leaders are in talks with Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy about joining hands with the Congress to be on the ruling bench. Congress leaders said this is the obvious decision.

Who won what

In Haveri—the northern part of the state—the Congress bagged 66 of 136 seats while the BJP won 43. The Congress also won a majority in the town municipal councils of Hanagal and Savanur in Haveri district.

In Uttara Kannada district, no party gained a majority in Ankola town municipality council though Congress won the most seats, followed by the BJP. The Congress recorded a thumping win in Yellapur and the BJP secured a majority in Mundgod for the first time.

In Karwar, the BJP and Congress won 11 seats each, while the JD(S) and Independents won four and five seats respectively. This is reminiscent of the last election, when the BJP and Congress won 13 seats each. In Sirsi’s 31 wards, the BJP won 17 and the Congress nine. Independents won in four wards while the JD(S) bagged just one seat.

In Dandeli, the BJP won 11 seats after having no presence there until the last Assembly election. However, the Congress won 16 seats and claimed victory while four independent candidates were elected councillors.

In Kumta town municipality, the BJP dominated the Congress and the JD(S) by winning 16 of 23 seats; the Congress won six and the JD(S) just one. In Haliyal town municipality, the Congress won 14 seats and the BJP seven. One Independent candidate and one JD(S) candidate also secured victory.

In Yellapur town, the Congress won 12, BJP five and the JD(S) won one. Two Independent candidates won one seat each. In Mundgod the BJP won 10 of 19 seats and the Congress bagged the rest. Next year, polls will be held for the high-stakes city corporation in Bengaluru, apart from ULBs in Mangaluru, Davanagere and Hubli-Dharwad.

M Raghuram is a Mangaluru-based freelance writer. He is a member of 101Reporters

With inputs from S Shankar Patil. Deepak Kumar, Basavaraj M, Ravi Kumar, Ranjini S and Lakshmi B.