Karnataka - Belgaum   

BJP making all efforts to improve its standing in Belgaum Division

Belgaum: Political observers here are curious to know how the political parties perform in Belgaum Division this time. They are more curious to know how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) performs. It had performed well in the 2004 Assembly elections.

The BJP, which had won 30 of the 57 seats in Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Uttar Kannada districts in the division, is leaving no stone unturned to improve its tally. It is banking on the support of voters from the dominant Lingayat community, Brahmins, backward classes and Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Most of the candidates fielded by the party were members of the last Assembly. In the 2004 elections, the BJP contested for 51 seats and secured 39.75 per cent of the votes polled in the division. It secured 35.56 per cent of the votes polled in the 57 constituencies of the division. The Congress, which had contested for 57 seats and won only 16, secured 35.03 per cent of the votes polled in the division. The Janata Dal (United) had contested for six seats and won two. It secured 29.24 per cent of the votes polled (overall 13.07 per cent). The Janata Dal (S) contested for 53 seats and won four. It bagged 12.58 per cent of votes polled. Candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, Indian Union Muslim League bagged one each and one seat went to an independent candidate. Their share was 3.27 per cent of the votes polled in 33 constituencies (overall 1.08 per cent).

If these figures are any indication, the BJP has consolidated its position over the years in the division, which was once considered as the bastion of the Congress. Though it had contested in 51 constituencies, it secured 4.72 per cent more votes than the Congress, which secured 35.03 per cent votes in 57 constituencies.

Compared with the performance of the Janata Dal (U), the BJP’s overall share was 22.49 per cent more than the 13.07 per cent of the former.

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