Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Congress suffers a major setback

Rejoicing: Jubiliant supporters celebrating the victory of their candidates in the election to the Gulbarga City Corporation, on Sunday.

GULBARGA: The Congress suffered major reverses in the urban local body elections, losing out its strongholds to the Janata Dal (Secular). Of the 12 urban local bodies, the Congress managed a comfortable majority only in Aland Town Municipal Council and Chincholi Town Panchayat, while the Janata Dal (S) scored resounding victories in Yadgir City Municipal Council, Shahapur TMC, Afsalpur and Gurmitkal Town Panchayats.

In one of the most surprising results, the JD(S) inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Congress in Gurmitkal Town Panchayat, which falls under the Gurmitkal Assembly Constituency represented by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M. Mallikarjun Kharge for eight consecutive terms. The Congress also lost to the JD(S)-BJP combine in Jewargi Town Panchayat, which falls under the Jewargi Assembly Constituency represented by former Chief Minister and party strongman N. Dharam Singh. Of the total 17 seats in Gurmitkal Town Panchayat, the JD(S) won 11 seats, the Congress four and the remaining two were shared by the BJP and Samajwadi Party.

The Congress has an outside chance to come to power in Jewargi Town Panchayat, with the support of the lone Bahujan Samaj Party candidate and with the votes of Mr. Dharam Singh and party MP Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi. Of the total 20 seats, the Congress emerged the single largest party with eight seats, followed by the BJP with six and the JD(S) with five. The remaining seat was won by a BSP candidate.

In the prestigious Gulbarga City Corporation, Shahabad City Municipal Council, Chitapur, Sedam and Surpur TMCs no party could get absolute majority. The JD(S) has an outside chance to come to power in Gulbarga City Corporation, Shahabad CMC, Sedam and Surpur TMC with the help of the BJP. Incidentally, the JD(S) is already sharing power with the BJP in Gulbarga Zilla Panchayat and the same relation could be extended to the urban local bodies.

In Surpur and Chitapur TMC elections, the Congress and the JD(S) were tied. While in Surpur, the two parties secured 13 seats each; the remaining one seat was won by the BJP, which holds the key for the power to the Surpur TMC. In Chitapur, the Congress and the JD(S) won 11 seats each in the house of 23; the lone seat went to an independent, who will decide the fate of the two political rivals. Though the Congress emerged as the single largest party in Shahabad CMC, winning 15 out of the 31 seats, the JD(S) with nine members and the BJP with seven members have a fair chance to come to power there.

In Sedam, a similar situation prevailed. Out of 23 seats, the Congress emerged the single largest party with eight seats, followed by the BJP with seven and the JD(S) with six seats. The BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) have a fair chance to come to power in Sedam TMC also.

However, the Congress did well to win in Aland TMC by a comfortable majority, quelling the rebellion within the party. Of the 23 seats, the Congress won 13 and party rebels won eight seats and the BJP won two seats. The JD(S) drew a blank. In Chincholi Town Panchayat, the Congress won 11 out of 18 seats and the Hyderabad Karnataka Horata Samiti, which fielded its candidate as independents, managed to win seven seats. The BJP and the JD(S) drew a blank.

The JD(S) proved that their victory in the last Assembly elections in the district was not a flash in the pan by securing a comfortable majority in Yadgir CMC, winning 18 out of the total 31 seats. The BJP did not win a single seat.

In Afsalpur Town Panchayat, the JD(S) won 12 seats out of the total of 20 seats.

The Congress could manage to win only four, followed by a single seat by the BJP. In Shahapur TMC, the JD(S) improved its performance by winning 15 out of the total 23 seats and the Congress and the BJP won 7 and one seat respectively.

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