BJP, Congress share honours in urban local bodies polls

BENGALURU: The ruling BJP and its main opposition the Congress shared honours in elections to 14 urban local bodies (ULBs) across nine districts. The results were announced on Thursday.


The BJP dethroned Congress by sweeping the Mangaluru City Corporation polls, but the Congress won more seats overall with 151 of 418 wards across 14 ULBs.

The BJP and the JD(S) won 125 and 63 wards respectively, while independents won 55 seats. The other seats went to parties like the SDPI.

However, the BJP secured power in most ULBs. While it won four ULBs, the Congress and the JD(S) bagged two each. The other six threw up fractured verdicts, making independents the kingmakers.

While the results cannot be viewed as an indication of voters’ sentiments ahead of the assembly bypolls, it is certainly a pointer to how fierce the December 5 poll battle will be.

Reaffirming its popularity in coastal Karnataka, the BJP swept polls in Mangaluru, while the Congress fell short of a majority in Davanagere City Corporation by one seat.

The BJP won 44 of 60 wards in Mangaluru, while the Congress managed just 14. In the 45-member Davanagere corporation, the Congress won 22 wards as against the BJP’s 17.