TUMKUR: Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Raghunath was elected President of the Tumkur Zilla Panchayat here on Thursday. Mr. Raghunath defeated the Congress candidate Narayana Murthy by one vote.

The Congress has a strength of 27 in the 57-member House, the Janata Dal (S) 26 and BJP 3, besides an Independent. Mr. Raghunath polled 29 votes, as two members of BJP and the independent member supported Janata Dal (S). The other BJP member, Eraiah from Hoysalakatte, supported the Congress candidate.

The choice of Mr. Raghunath by the Janata Dal (S) leaders was preceded by a political drama. Mr. Raghunath, S.R. Lakshminarayana, P.R. Sudhakarlal and S.D. Krishnappa, the other contenders for the post from the party, had filed their nomination papers.

Mr. Raghunath has won the Handanakere seat in C.N. Halli taluk. C.B. Suresh Babu, former C.N. Halli MLA who belongs to Kuruba community, has remained steadfast with the Janata Dal (S) even after his mentor Siddaramaiah, former Deputy Chief Minister, rebelled against the party.

The main objective of the party, according to some leaders, was to curb the growth of Janata Dal (United) leader J.C. Madhuswamy in C.N. Halli taluk. Mr. Madhuswamy had defeated Mr. Babu in the 2004 April Assembly elections.

Padma, Janata Dal (S) member, who represents Dabbeghatta in Turuvekere taluk, was elected vice-president.

She defeated Y.P. Shobha, Congress candidate by one vote.

The BJP, which has three members in the zilla panchayat, found itself divided with two of them supporting the Janata Dal (S) and another the Congress.

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