Many BJP  bigwigs including CM Basavaraj Bommai, Ministers B Sriramulu, Halappa Achar, and Shashikala Jolle faced a serious setback in their home turfs as Congress romped home in the urban local body election in Karnataka.

BENGALURU(December-31): After a neck-to-neck fight in the legislative council elections with the ruling BJP and opposition congress winning 11 seats each in the polls to the 25 Council Seats in Karnataka, the results of the 58 urban local bodies (ULBs) threw up a similar result.

The Congress has managed to win 498 seats followed by the ruling BJP’s 437, with JD(S) winning 45, Independents and others have emerged victorious in 204 seats and are very crucial in many ULBs including Sira town Municipal Council (CMC) of Tumkuru and Hosapete of Vijay nagara which had thrown a hung council.

The BJP had fared well in urban areas especially in the City municipal councils as it has won 67 seats with congress close behind 61, while the JD(S) with 12 seats is far behind in the 166 seats that went for the polls, here too, independents and others have won 26 seats.

The Congress has performed well in Town Municipal Councils (TMCs), out of 441, the party has won 221 seats followed by the BJP with 176, the JD(S) with 21, and others with 43. In the Town Panchayats, constituting both urban and rural areas the outcome indicates a trend favoring congress as it has won 236 seats as against the  BJP’s 194 and JD(S)‘s 12, with others winning 135.

The BJP romped to victory in the CMCs of Hebbagodi in Bengaluru, Chikkamagaluru and Gadag  Betagari by winning the seats required for the majority to rule.

The CMCs of Hosapete and Sira have a fractured mandate despite the presence of Minister Anand Singh and sitting MLA Dr. C.M Rajesh Gowda representing the constituencies in the assembly.

Opposition leaders in the assembly  Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted and hailed the performance of the congress party.