The Hindu : Front Page : Big gains for Janata Dal (Secular)

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Monday, Oct 01, 2007
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Big gains for Janata Dal (Secular)

T.S. Ranganna

Congress in top slot, BJP in third spot in local body polls

BANGALORE: The Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka has won more than a fourth of the wards in the elections to the 209 urban local bodies.

It won in 1,324 of the 4,431 wards, for which results were announced.

Elections were held in 5,009 wards of the urban local bodies, including seven city municipal corporations — Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Mangalore, Shimoga and Bellary.

While the Congress took the top slot, the JD(S) pushed the BJP, its partner in the coalition government in the State, to the third spot.

The BJP has obtained a clear majority in Mangalore, Davanagere and Bellary city corporations, while four other corporations face hung councils — Mysore, Gulbarga, Shimoga, Hubli and Dharwad.

It will again be for the JD(S) to choose its alliance partner.

The JD(S), which won 415 seats in the last election held in 2001, staged an impressive victory in 1,324 wards. In Bellary, the BJP swept the polls, winning 32 seats, leaving the other three to the JD(S).

The former Prime Minister and JD(S) president, H.D. Deve Gowda, and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said: “We are grateful to the electorate and the party activists.”

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