Bengaluru, Dec 31: The Legislative Council election results have indeed made Chief Minister Siddaramaiah bid goodbye to the year 2015 with a smile and welcome the New Year with renewed zeal.
Even though the poll results do not significantly change the overall numerical positions in the Legislative Council (where it earlier held 12 out of 25 local body seats), the Congress victory gains significance in the light of BJP’s claim that it would be able to cross the double digit mark and encash on the internal rebellion in the Congress.
In the overall tally on the floor of the Upper House, Congress now moves up from 28 to 29, while BJP will be down from 30 to 29 (excluding the Chairman).
The JD(S) moves down from 12 to 11. However, the equation in the House could also be determined by the way in which Independents will sway, especially the rebel victors.
Of all the constituencies, the results in Hassan, a strong domain of JD?(S) leader H?D?Deve Gowda, have apparently brought Siddaramaiah that extra joy. He has dubbed the victory in this Vokkaliga bastion ‘historical’.
Interacting with the media on?Wednesday, he said, “The Congress expected victory. But it is a historic win in Hassan. The credit for the victory in Hassan goes to District In-charge Minister A Manju. His efforts had also borne fruit during the parliament elections.
We expect similar results in the district even in the panchayat polls. BJP leader K S Eshwarappa had said he would retire from active politics (if Congress won the polls). If he respects the people’s mandate, then he should stick to his words.”
Siddaramaiah said when one makes statements in the public, one must take responsibility for it. Whether he had accepted Eshwarappa’s challenge or not, after making a statement, once must adhere to it and must not show any stubbornness, he said.
Reacting to Siddaramaiah’s remarks, Eshwarappa said it was a fact that he had posed a challenge to the chief minister and State Congress president G Parameshwara, but both had not accepted it.
“During the campaign, I had said that if the Congress won even one seat more than the BJP, then I would retire from politics. I had also said that in case the Congress wins, then Siddaramaiah should give better governance for the next two-and-half-years. But the challenge was not accepted.”
He said the Congress had offered voters several inducements, including cash, and the BJP couldn’t compete. “The influence of money was so strong in Shivamogga that the BJP was pushed to the third position,” he claimed.
In a statement, BJP?State president Pralhad Joshi said the party welcomed the council election results with due respect to the voters. “The results in two to three constituencies have left the BJP disappointed. But high influence of money and misuse of authority have led to the defeat of the BJP nominees. Still, our candidates have given a good fight,” he said.
Joshi said the party would try to identify the reasons for its defeat and take corrective measures.
JD (S)?leader H?D?Deve Gowda and his son H?D?Kumaraswamy were not available for comment. While the senior Gowda was said to be visiting a temple in Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy is holidaying in?Singapore.
However, JD(S) MLA and senior leader Cheluvarayaswamy did not hesitate to analyse the party’s poor performance. Losses in Hassan and Bengaluru Rural, both of which are JD(S) bastions, have jolted the party leaders.
“At no point in time did we expect to lose in these two constituencies – it is a major drawback to us. Ironically, the electorate has given us the mandate in Kolar, where we have managed to make inroads.
In Tumakuru, too, voters have elected a candidate from a different district. We could have fared well in other seats also, but unfortunately we have retained only three seats. It is time for the party leaders to introspect – only Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy can help revive the party,” he said.
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