Bengaluru civic polls: BJP gets clear majority

In the end, it turned out to be a return of the BJP and an embarrassment for the ruling Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The BJP won 100 of the 198 seats, a clear majority, but down from 112 in 2010, in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council while the Congress improved its tally from 64 to 76. Adding insult to injury, BJP leaders claimed that this was the first time in 30 years in the State that a ruling party was defeated in the civic polls. The results have raised serious doubts over the plan to trifurcate the BBMP, which the BJP opposes; the bill is pending with the President of India. Given the bitter anti-BJP campaign by the Congress, there are serious concerns over co-ordination and smooth functioning between a BJP ruled BBMP and the State government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah owned responsibility for the defeat but said that the result couldn’t be considered a referendum on the State government. The result could galvanize the CM’s rivals within the Congress who have been demanding a cabinet expansion. The council will be dominated by first-timers. Two women have won from wards that were not reserved for women. This would be the first time that there will an equal number of women and men. While one of out of five councillors are worth more than Rs. 5 crore, nearly half have studied only till Class X or lesser. Reacting to the victory Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in tweets: “People’s continuous faith in the BJP is humbling and gladdening. We are fully committed to fulfilling aspirations of 125 crore Indians. After Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the BBMP poll results complete a hat-trick of wins for BJP. This is a win for politics of development and good governance.” BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were quick to slam the main opposition party, asking it to introspect over its “negative politics.” “This victory is people’s mandate against the continuous anti-poor, anti-development and politics of negative allegations being practised by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi. Congress, which has been marginalised in national politics, should seriously introspect over its negative politics,” Shah said.