In a boost to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s leadership, the ruling JD(S) has performed surprisingly well vis-a-vis its ally the BJP and the opposition Congress in the urban local body elections that were held on September 28.Results of the 5,098 wards in 209 urban local bodies that were still emerging till late on Sunday night also added muscle to JD(S) National President and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in his bargaining exercise with the BJP ahead of the scheduled October 3 transfer of power.Expected to suffer like it has in the past in the urban civic polls in the state, the JD(S) had already bagged 1,441 wards till the time of going to the press on Sunday night. It emerged second behind the Congress with 1,452 seats while the BJP followed with 1,054 in a battle traditionally dominated by the Congress and the BJP. The JD(S) has made big inroads into BJP and Congress strongholds.In terms of control over the urban local bodies, the BJP has emerged clear winner in three out of the seven city corporations. In Belgaum and Hubli the results were yet to be declared, while two other corporations are hung.In city municipal corporations the BJP emerged victorious in 10, the JD(S) in 10 and the Congress in three while 20 CMCs threw up hung results. In towns, the JD(S) was elected to rule 26 municipal corporations, the Congress 15, the BJP 13 while 37 TMCs threw up no single party as winners.In town panchayats, JD(S) emerged winner in 17, the Congress in 13 and the BJP in 10 while 25 were hung.JD(S) sources attributed the party performance to the goodwill generated by Kumaraswamy over the past 20 months and said it would be used to pressurise the BJP into allowing Kumaraswamy to remain Chief Minister beyond October 3.Deve Gowda who held a 30-minute meeting on the power transfer issue with BJP’s central observer Yashwant Sinha on Sunday evening said the results of the urban civic polls could not be viewed as a mandate for early elections in the state.Sources said Gowda, during the talks with Sinha, indicated that the JD(S) MLAs who were already not in favour of a change of guard in the state on October 3 would further insist on Kumaraswamy’s continuance as Chief Minister.Following the meeting, Sinha said he would hold discussions with state party leaders and “if needed meet (Gowda) again”.
