The Congress has retained the Bhadravati City Municipal Council and won Tirthahalli Town Panchayat, putting an end to more than two-decade-long BJP’s rule in the town.
Of the 34 wards in Bhadravati, which went to the polls on March 27, the Congress won 18, JD(S) 11, BJP four, and an independent candidate won one ward. With this, Congress will continue to hold power in the urban local body. The party campaigned under the leadership of party MLA B.K. Sangameshwara.
In Tirthahalli, the Congress won nine out of 15 wards. The BJP won only six seats, losing the urban local body after more than two decades. The result in Tirthahalli TP has taken BJP leaders by surprise. RDPR Minister K.S. Eshwarappa and MLC Ayanur Manjunath have expressed surprise over the result. Mr. Eshwarappa said the party’s district committee would analyse the results in consultation with Tirthahalli MLA Araga Jnanendra.
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Meanwhile, former chairman of Shivamogga DCC Bank R.M. Manjunath Gowda, who joined the Congress recently, has claimed that people of Thirthahalli defeated the BJP as they were fed up with that party’s repeated false promises.
Celebrations
The district administration had prohibited celebrations due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, Congress workers assembled in Tirthahalli town after the election results were announced. They raised slogans praising former Minister Kimmane Rathnakar and Manjunath Gowda for the party’s victory. The local police reached the spot and took the party workers to task for violating the lockdown guidelines.
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Mr. Kimmane Rathnakar entered into an argument with the police and accused them of being selective in enforcing the lockdown. “The police remained mute spectators when the BJP leaders held meetings in the town violating the lockdown”, he said.