The Congress on Friday won the most number of seats in 61 urban local bodies in Karnataka, for which elections were held on May 29. The Congress won in 509 of the 1,221 wards for which results were declared by 8.30 pm, India Today reported. The Bharatiya Janata Party was second with victories in 366 seats, and the Janata Dal (Secular) third with 174 seats.
The Bahujan Samaj Party won three seats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) two and Independents 160.
Elections were held for 1,361 wards on May 29. The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), which rule the state together, had contested the polls separately, unlike in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress won 90 out of the 217 seats in city municipalities for which results were declared. The BJP won 56, and the Janata Dal (Secular) 38. In town municipalities, the Congress won 322 out of the 714 seats, while the BJP was second at 184 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) at 102.
However, the BJP performed better in town panchayats, where it won 126 of the 290 seats. The Congress won 97 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) 34.
“We thank the people of Karnataka for standing by the Congress,” the Karnataka state unit of the party tweeted. “We are committed to your faith in us.”
Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said that Congress winning nearly 42% of the seats shows that the people are with the party. “What surprises me is how did BJP lose after winning by huge margins in the Lok Sabha,” he tweeted. “Needs investigation.”
The results of the local body polls were in complete contrast to the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP had won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats, results for which were announced on May 23. The Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) had won just one seat each.
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