Bangalore, April, 05: The BJP appears poised to reach the half-way mark in the 198-member Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by winning 50 wards and maintaining a lead in 58 others.
According to trends in the counting process, which began at 8 am in 28 different counting centers in the City, the Opposition Congress had been declared elected in 28 wards and was leading over its nearest rival in 33 other wards by 10.30 am.
The JD (S) had bagged 9 wards and was leading in another 9 wards. Independents had won four and were leading in two other wards.
Elections to BBMP had been held on March 28 and a total of 1,336 candidates were in the fray in the 198 wards.
Prominent among the winners were Congress party’s former MLA Chandrashekar and Rajarajeshwarinagar BJP MLA M. Srinivas’ son Venkatesh Babu. Mahalakshmi Layout Congress MLA N. L. Narendra Babu’s brother N. L. Ravishankar was among the losers.
The BJP’s efforts to rule the civic body will be further bolstered by the voting rights enjoyed by as many as 32 non-BBMP councillors – MPs, MLAs and MLCs residing in Bangalore.
—–Agencies