BJP secures power in 12 ZPs

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as a major gainer in the local body elections in the state even as chief minister B S Yeddyurappa suffered a setback on his home turf in Shimoga. Of the 30 zilla panchayats, BJP bagged 12, Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) four each while there was a split verdict in the remaining 10 local governing councils, with no party securing a majority.

Similarly, in the 176 taluk (sub-district) panchayats, BJP won 68, Congress 31 and JD-S 29 while no party emerged a clear winner in the remaining 48. These were the first elections to the local governing councils after the BJP came to power in the state in May 2008.

BJP, which had bagged only one ZP (Bellary) in 2005, had expected to win at least 20 ZPs this time.

But for Yeddyurappa, whose continuance depended on the party’s show in this election, it was a major set back as in his home district of Shimoga, BJP barely managed to win the zilla panchayat bagging 16 of the 31 seats and conceding 13 to Congress and two to JD-S.

The Reddy brothers, mining barons and ministers, were in for a shock as BJP failed to get a majority in the 36-member zilla panchayat as it could win in just 18 seats, with the Congress taking 17 and the JD-S one. G Janardhana is tourism minister and his elder brother G Karunakara holds the revenue portfolio.

Speaking to reporters after the results were announced, Yeddyurappa hailed his party’s show though it fell short of the sweep that he and the party’s state unit president K S Eshwarappa were predicting. Both had been confidently claiming that BJP would capture power in at least 20 of the 30 ZPs and over 100 of the 176 TPs.

“I thank voters for their optimum support to BJP,” Yeddyurappa, who led the party battling charges of nepotism in prime land allotment to his kin in and around Bangalore, said.

“Though BJP is considered an urban-based party, these results have shown that we also have a huge rural base,” the chief minister asserted.

Eshwarappa said he was confident that BJP would be in power in 14 of the 30 zilla panchayats, 12 on its own and two with the support of independents. The Congress, though putting up a poor show compared to the 2005 ZP and TP polls when it was clear winner, hailed its performance in Bellary and Shimoga.

Party’s state unit president G Parameshwara and central labour minister Mallikharjun Kharge said the BJP’s show in the two districts considered its stronghold showed “people’s anger over corruption in the government.”

Parameshwar indicated that Congress might have a post-poll tie-up with JD-S to secure power in ZPs and TPs where no party has gained majority. “We have to come to some decision (on tie-up with JD-S). We will discuss the issue with senior leaders,” he said.

Over 65 per cent of the 21 million voters, nearly half of them women, cast their ballot in the local body elections on December 26 and 31 and January 1.