Live: BJP Retains Bengaluru Despite Fall, Setback for Congress
The BJP retains power in Bengaluru with 100 wards, the Congress gets 75 and JD(S) finishes third with 14.
BJP Retains Bengaluru, Setback for Congress
The BJP, despite climbing down from its 2010 tally of 116 wards, hangs on to power with its tally of 100. The Congress, which was hoping to topple the BJP will have to be satisfied with 75 wards.
What does this mean for Bengaluru? Are the results a referendum on the performance of the state Congress government?
Stay tuned for all the analysis.
Here’s Why the BJP’s Win is Not Yet Outright Victory
The BJP has won out 100 out of 197 wards in Bengaluru. It has won more than half the wards that were up for voting. But that isn’t quite ‘Game, Set and Match’ yet for the party.
Here’s why.
The BBMP council is made up of more than just the 197 corporators who have won. MPs, MLAs and MLCs from Karnataka too have representation in the body. That’s why the golden number for a majority in Bangalore is set at 103.
Still, with the 100 wards the BJP is easily is the single largest party. It will rule the BBMP, as it has done for the past five years. It’s a setback for the Congress party, which had hoped to topple the BJP.
BJP Set to Rule Bengaluru
The latest leads show that the BJP has got 100 out of 197 seats. That gives the party a simple majority.
Still short of 100 - Hung BBMP?
The BJP’s within kissing distance of getting a simple majority, but will it? If the party doesn’t manage the numbers, there will be no one with a majority. Here’s where Bengaluru’s and Karnataka’s kingmakers, the JD(S) comes into the picture.
The BJP and JD(S) were once allies in the Karnataka government so there’s precedent, even if that alliance ended badly.
What happened to Loksatta Party?
You could say that the Loksatta Party (LSP) was India’s Aam Aadmi Party before the Aam Aadmi Party was even founded. LSP contested the Bengaluru elections and some of their candidates were even endorsed by BPAC - yet they haven’t won a seat. (The AAP for their part did not contest the BBMP polls.)
Now what sort of conclusion will you draw from that?
BJP Galloping to the Finish Line
Here’s the latest. The Times of India is reporting that the BJP has got 93 seats, the Congress 74 and the JDS 14. A party has to cross 100 for an easy majority.
Bengaluru, Why So Much Rage?
There’s a lot of rage on Twitter, and a lot of it directed towards the media. Okay, that’s not so surprising in and of itself - but the reason for all the vitriol is simple: most news services predicted a win for the Congress party.
CitizenMatters, a hyperlocal site in Bengaluru, has a roundup of all the exit polls conducted by Kannada news sites. They all handed the election to the Congress (screenshot below).
Everyone’s Tweeting, But What’re They Saying?
The Twitterverse has erupted with chatter on the election results, with #BBMPResults being the top trend. Here’s a sampling:
Bengaluru - You Get What You Earned
Only an estimated 49% of Bengaluru turned up to cast their votes on Saturday. As prominent Bangalorean Mohandas Pai, who is a member of the citizens’ collective BPAC put it, “Your future is in your hands. Not voting means bleak future.”
Are Bangaloreans happy with what they have got?
Bengaluru Heading for ‘Hung Council’?
Deccan Herald, one of the city’s oldest newspapers is reporting that out of 197 seats, the BJP will get 84 seats while the Congress will go home with 65 seats.
BJP Set to Retain Bengaluru
Good morning. Looks like Bengaluru is going to be retained by the BJP. Stay right here on this live blog for the results, analysis and reactions.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)