Karnataka - Tumkur   

Congress stages a comeback in Tumkur district

Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR: The Congress staged a comeback in Tumkur by establishing an early lead in the elections to the Tumkur Zilla Panchayat and the 10 taluk panchayats in the district. The party was routed in the April 2004 Assembly elections.

Counting of votes, which began here and in eight taluk centres in the early hours of Tuesday, is likely to end late in the night. Polling was held last Friday for 57 zilla panchayat and 212 taluk panchayat seats.

Congress won 19 of the 36 ZP seats declared so far, Janata Dal (Secular) got 13 and the Bharatiya Janata Party three.

S. Jayalakshmi from Rangapura, K.S. Sujatha from Huchegowdanpalya, Gangadhar from Honnavalli (all Tiptur Taluk); H.B.Honnaiah from Huliyar (CN Halli Taluk); are among the Congress candidates who emerged victorious.

As many as three zilla panchayat seats in Koratagere taluk, which witnessed a high pitch election campaign, went in favour of the Congress. The party won eight seats in the Koratagere taluk panchayat and its candidates were leading in two other seats. R.L. Jalappa, MP and former Union Minister, and V.S. Ugrappa, MLC and KPCC General Secretary had waged virtually a battle against C. Channigappa, Minister for Sericulture and Excise and Tumkur District incharge, rendering the election in the taluk a prestigious question.

Counting of votes was peaceful in Pavagada taluk. Congress disputed the victory of Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Byadnur by a margin of 85 votes, and that led to tension at the counting centre.

Pavagada Taluk was first to complete the counting process, although declaration of the winners was delayed be— cause of the political parties raising some objections. Security was tightened in view of threat from naxalites in the taluk.

Counting of votes in Tumkur, where those of Tumkur and Kunigal Taluk was taken up, was very slow.

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Congress stages a comeback in Tumkur district

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