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BJP impresses in Urban Local Body polls, wins 35 seats in Belagavi
The win also marks a new high for the Basavaraj Bommai government in the state that has been in power for just over a month and faced its first electoral test in the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday secured control over the Belagavi city corporation for the first time, by winning 35 out of the 58 seats in the Urban Local Body (ULB) polls held on September 3.
The victory in Belagavi, marks an important landmark for saffron party,which fought the polls on the development plank. So far, language was the as the main election agenda in local polls in the district.
The win also marks a new high for the Basavaraj Bommai government in the state that has been in power for just over a month and faced its first electoral test in the state.
“Within one month of our government this election was the first sign of approval and support. And in the coming days this will show the direction (of future elections),” chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.
The victory for the BJP in Belagavi also relegated the Congress to a distant second as well as the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), a pro-Marathi outfit to the opposition benches.
A total of 1,105 candidates contested the elections in the three ULB polls comprising 195 seats.
The Congress, which was hopeful of a better show in Belagavi, won 10 seats while the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majli-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) managed to secure just one. Twelve seats went to Independents, including two from the MES, according to data shared by the state election commission on Monday.
The victory for the BJP will help boost the saffron party’s confidence ahead of the yet-to-be announced zilla and taluk panchayat elections which would be a major test for all political outfits to understand the support in the grass roots which would be a crucial indicator before the 2023 assembly polls.
In Hubballi-Dharwad, the BJP won 39 out of the total 82 wards that went to the polls, while the Congress secured 33 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) managed only one. The AIMIM won three seats and six went to Independents.
In Kalaburagi, the BJP broke new ground with 23 seats at the cost of the Congress which managed 27. The JD(S) won four and there was one Independent, which leaves the district with no clear majority for any one party. However, the hung verdict gives rise to the possibility of local alliances including one with the BJP and JD(S).
All in all, the BJP managed to win 97 out of the total 195 seats in the three large corporation ULB polls while the Congress got 70. The JD(S), which has no real presence in the northern districts of the state, managed 5 seats in all.
The AIMIM had an impressive outing with a total of four seats while 19 went to Independents.
The BJP also won 12 out of the 31 seats in Bengaluru Rural, one out of 23 in Chikamagalur and one in Bidar. The Congress managed to win 15 seats in Chikmagaluru.
“The government is in their hands. They have more resources, misuse power and all officials work for them. As a matter of fact, in Kalaburagi, the commissioner acted like a BJP worker,” Siddaramaiah, the former chief minister and Congress’s leader of the opposition said on Monday.
