Karnataka: Month-old Basavaraj Bommai govt gets majority in Belagavi, Hubballi

Bengaluru: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka received a shot in the arm in the elections to the three municipal corporations by getting clear majority in Belagavi and Hubballi-Dharwad while it finished a close second in Kalaburagi.

An elated Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who dubbed the election results as a clean sweep in favour of the his month-old government in the 'sample test', said the BJP will come to power in all the three municipal corporations.

The elections took place on September 3 and the results were announced on Monday. According to the Karnataka State Election Commission officials, in the 58-seat Belagavi, the BJP won 35, Congress 10, Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) one and 12 independents. In 82-seat Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation, BJP won 39 seats, Congress 33, AIMIM 3, JD(S) 1, independents six. In Kalaburagi municipal corporation, the elections took place for 55 seats, out of which Congress won 27, BJP 23, JD(S) 4 and independent one seat.

Going by the indications given by Bommai, the BJP, JD(S) and an independent may join hands, a BJP insider claimed. He also did not rule out the possibility of a breakaway group of Congress emerging to support the BJP. A jubilant Bommai said, "This was almost like a sample test after one month of my taking charge of the office. Out of the three, we have got a clear majority in two municipal corporations and in the third also we are in the close race but we are going to make a majority there also."

He said all the three corporations will have BJP mayors. Bommai congratulated the BJP ministers, MLAs and leaders who toiled hard for the elections in Belagavi. "For the first time in history, the BJP is holding the majority and we will have our own mayor. The MES would have controlled it otherwise," the Chief Minister said. He said this was a good sign for the government as well as Karnataka.

Bommai said Hubballi-Dharwad had been the BJP's fort for a long time while the party is breaking grounds in Kalaburagi. "It's a clean sweep and a drubbing to the Congress. It also shows that the people have faith in the new government," Bommai said.