Karnataka - Gulbarga   

JD(S), BJP gain in strength in Gulbarga

GULBARGA: The stakes are high for the Congress in the urban local body elections in Gulbarga district. The party is fighting with its back to the wall to retain the power in Gulbarga City Corporation and eight of the 11 town municipal councils, city municipal councils and town panchayats.

Major changes have taken place in the State politics after the last elections to the urban local bodies. The Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party have gained in strength — the BJP has grown into a major political force in certain pockets of the district posing a serious threat to the hegemony of the Congress.

Although only five days is left for the crucial polling, the campaign is yet to pick up. The BJP was the first to launch its campaign with the party’s State unit president Sadananda Gowda making a whirlwind tour of the district addressing election meetings at Gurmitkal, Afzalpur, Aland and Chincholi. Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would take up the campaign for the party candidates in Yadgir, Jewargi, Gulbarga and later leave for Humnabad in Bidar district.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge and former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh will be touring the district for two days from Monday addressing public meetings at Gurmitkal, Sedam, Chitapur, Gulbarga, Shahabad, Jewargi, Shahapur, Surpur and Yadgir.

On the contrary, no senior leader from the Janata Dal (Secular) has campaigned in the district, except for the visit of president of the State unit of the party Merajuddin Patel, prior to the selection of the party candidates.

For the first time, the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) are fighting the elections unitedly in Jewargi Town Panchayat against the Congress. While the BJP has fielded its candidate in 13 wards, the Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded candidates in seven wards. The Congress has fielded its candidates in 19 wards.

In Afzalpur Town Panchayat, the Janata Dal (Secular) is facing threat from rebels in 15 of the 20 wards. The breakaway group of the party has fielded its candidates as Afzalpur Nagrikarara Horata Samiti.

In Gulbarga City Corporation, the fight for supremacy between the three contenders appears to be close with the Congress and the BJP emerging as a major contenders. The Congress, which has fielded candidates in all the 55 wards appears to have an edge over its rivals in most of the constituencies.

The BJP which appeared to have a distinct advantage over others in the Gulbarga City Corporation before the election, seems to heave lost this advantage owing to the presence of rebel and candidates who jumped joined the Janata Dal (Secular) after being denied party ticket. The party is facing the prospect of losing at in seven wards owing to this defection.

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