Karnataka zilla and taluk panchayat polls: Congress proves it is No. 1
Bengaluru: Belying predictions of a poor performance, the Congress party won the highest number of seats in the zilla and taluk panchayat polls outdoing its 2011 poll show, after counting of votes on Tuesday. These local governing bodies play a pivotal role in the planning and execution of development programmes for each district.
The ruling party won 498 of the 1083 ZP seats up for grabs compared to the 353 seats it had won in the previous poll. The BJP came a close second bagging 408 seats but its tally has dropped from the 441 seats it had won in 2011. Similarly, the JD(S) numbers fell from 180 to 148. The Congress has a clear majority in 10 ZPs, the BJP in 7 and JD(S) in 2.
What shocked all parties was the fractured verdict in 11 zilla panchayats. Mr Deve Gowda's JD(S) is set to play a crucial role in deciding the fortunes of these ZPs, which include the CM’s hometown, Mysuru, and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar's district, Tumakuru.
It’s unclear whether Mr Gowda will extend help to his former shishya, Mr Siddaramaiah after a slanging match between his son, Mr Kumaraswamy and the CM over an expensive watch.
The shock defeat of the day was in Ramanagar, where the Congress trumped local MLA Kumaraswamy. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge’s bastion, Kalaburagi fell to the BJP, which had the chagrin of seeing strongholds like Uttara Kannada slip away.
