| The Congress has made unexpected gains and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) has faired poorly in the Karnataka panchayat polls which was widely seen as a test of strength between the two coalition partners who decided to fight separately, fielding candidates against each other.
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| Of the 27 districts in the state, the Congress has a clear majority in 13 districts and the JD(S) in two at the zilla panchayat level. In the 12 remaining districts the Congress has to choose as its partner the JD(S) or former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah’s All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD).
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| After breaking up from the JD(S), Siddaramaiah has been able to put up an impressive show and become an important balancing factor. With his help the Congress can gain control in a few key districts like Mysore, Mandya, Gulbarga and Tumkur.
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| But if the Congress takes Siddaramaiah’s help, its existing relationship with the JD(S) at the state level becomes uncertain. All this is likely to pave way for new alliances which can hasten assembly elections in the state.
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| However, in a guarded response, KPCC president M Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Congress would not do anything to destabilise the coalition government. “There is no threat to the coalition government from our side.”
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| Kharge said elections to local bodies were different and could not be linked to assembly polls, an issue which would be decided by the central leadership in a broader national context and perspective.
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| By splitting the JD(S) vote, Siddaramaiah’s AIPJD helped the Congress to fare better in districts like Kolar, Chitradurga, Chamarajnagar, Belgaum, Bagalkote, Koppal, Raichur, Haveri and Bijapur where Kurabas (a section of backwards), Dalits and Muslims are in sizeable number.
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| The Congress on its own has fared well in coastal districts where its performance was in doubt. The party won in Udupi and Uttara Kannada. The BJP has won sizeable seats in Dakshina Kannada.
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| The JD(S) on its own has won in Hassan and Bangalore rural districts and the Congress will need its help in Dakshina Kannada.In the first trial of strength at the grassroot level after the Assembly elections, with almost all the results out, the Congress also bagged nearly 50 per cent of the 3,657 taluk panchayat seats for which the results have been declared.
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| The Congress’ performance stands out in comparison with that of JD(S) and BJP but looks dim, when judged against its feat in the last panchayat elections when it wrested control of 26 of the 27 ZPs. For the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 79 seats in the assembly polls but failed to reach the magic figure to govern the state, the results have prived it is not urban-centric. |
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