The ruling BJP in Karnataka won a clear majority in the 58-member Belagavi City Corporation polls, while it fell short of three wards to secure majority in the 82-member Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 55-member Kalaburagi City Corporation, just short of one ward to capture power.
The polls to the three corporations in the north Karnataka region held on September 3, was the first poll post veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa stepping down as the chief minister in July this year and was considered a litmus test for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who belongs to Hubballi district.
The saffron party, which fought on the party symbol for the first time, captured power in the Belagavi corporation for the first time in 25 years as the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) had managed to have a strangle hold on the civic body in the border district. Interestingly, the BJP's strategy to fight the election on the party symbol and to field Marathi speaking candidates across 30 wards helped the party to wrest power, as MES was reduced from 31 wards to just two.
In Kalaburagi, the Congress party improved its 2013 tally by winning 27 wards. However, the BJP which wrested 23 wards is hoping to capture power by seeking the support of the JDS (4) and an Independent corporator. The party also has six more votes - an MP, two MLAs and three MLCs.
A big surprise, however, was the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) bagging three wards in Hubballi-Dharwad besides one in Belagavi. This is an indication of a possible shift of the Muslim votes from the Congress to AIMIM, which works in favour of the BJP.
The BJP's performance in Hubballi-Dharwad has been a dampener for a party that had set a target of 60, but just about managed to get 39, even though the campaign was led by heavyweights like Union Minister Prahlad Joshi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Leader of the opposition in Karnataka assembly Siddaramaiah, who had stayed away from campaigning, said the Belagavi poll result was unexpected and the party had expected a few more seats in Hubballi-Dharwad. "The BJP has not won majority in any corporation except Belagavi and whatever they have got is because of their money, muscle and political power," alleged Siddaramaiah, who was undergoing rejuvenation therapy during the poll campaign, leading to speculations over a cold war between the former chief minister and the state Congress president D. K. Shivakumar.
"This is not Congress’ loss but a warning to BJP, which has won just 39 seats in Hubballi-Dharwad inspite of having the CM and a Central minister to back them. But the Congress with a lone MLA, got 33 seats. This is an indication that people have rejected BJP," added Siddaramaiah.
BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said, "The BJP will rule all three corporations. The poll result is an indication of people supporting the BJP ideology and its good administration. It is also a signal to the Congress to give up eyeing the CM's chair. We have breached Kalaburagi, the strong forte of the Congress too. Siddaramaiah did not campaign as he wanted to send out a message that Shivakumar has failed as the state party chief.” The BJP's organisational strength, election strategy and development work by the state and central government were responsible for the party's performance, he added.
