ULB polls: Weak leadership pulled BJP down in Karnataka - Times of India

BANGALORE: Anti-incumbency factor, coupled with internal squabbling, allegations of corruption on leaders, split in the party and a weak leadership all contributed to the BJP's defeat in urban local body (ULB) polls. The outcome has upset chief minister JagadishShettar and BJP'sapplecart. Despite in ruling, the party has been relegated to the background vis-vis its perforamance in the 2007 ULB polls. In 2007 it had secured 1180 seats and now reached the 950 mark. Shettar himself has admitted that various factors have contributed for the party biting dust. They include anti-incumbency and internal rift. Though the BJP claims that BS Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) and B Sriramulu's BSR Congress, have not damaged party's numbers in the poll, both the breakaway factions have eaten into the BJP's votes. Though the ULBs constitute less than 30% of the votes (85 lakh of the total 4.19 crore electorate in the state), the message from the urban voters is clear that thay have outrightly rejected collective leadership of "famous five" - Shettar, KS Eshwarappa, R Ashoka, DV Sadananada Gowda and HN Ananth Kumar. While Shettar's elevation to CM's post did not help the Hubli-Dharwad City Corporation to come to power independently, the , BJP has lost badly in Eshwarappa and Gowda's home districts Shimoga and Dakshina Kannada respectively. Not so happy face for leaders *Jagadish Shettar - Could not muster majority for BJP in Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. *Siddaramaiah, opposition leader - Though Congress is the single largest party in Mysore City Corporation, it has to depend on Independents or JD(S) to assume power. *G Parameshwara, KPCC president - Congress has lost in his home turf, Koratagere town panchayat. *KS Eshwarappa, deputy chief minister - BJP loses badly in Shimoga. *HD Kumaraswamy, former CM - has lost to Congress in his bastion - Ramanagaram, Magadi and Bidadi. *B Sriramulu, BSR Congress supremo -lost Bellary to Congress. *Of the 23 seats in Bhatkal town municipal council, Independents have won 20 seats. *In Belgaum candidates have won on linguistic factors - Kannada and Marathi - than on party or individual lines. *In Udupi city municipal council, the Congress returns to power after 45 years. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGUQRo9qNZW-D2xVWlL7SMX44OUeg&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ULB-polls-Weak-leadership-pulled-BJP-down-in-Karnataka/articleshow/18912309.cms

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 2953939