Bengaluru: In ZP-TP polls, BJP hopes for an edge over Congress

Bengaluru: Though the Congress had won the majority of seats in the recent Council polls from the local bodies constituencies, the opposition BJP is now confident that it can outperform the ruling party in the Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections. The first phase of the ZP/ TP polls was held on Saturday and the second phase is due on February 20.

In the previous election, the BJP had won 12 ZPs and 101 TPs in the state. Though it was in power in the state in 2011, it has failed to perform better than the Congress, then in the Opposition, which had won a majority of ZP and TP seats in that election.

Speaking to this newspaper, a BJP senior functionary said the party was confident of retaining 12 Zilla Panchayat seats in districts considered its strongholds and also do better in the TP elections.

This time, the BJP has launched a positive campaign highlighting the misrule of the Siddaramaiah government in the last three years, he said.

The BJP is hoping to win its strongholds like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Belagavi and Gulbarga ZP. “We have our usual vote banks in the coast, Malnad and Uttara Kannada districts. Except for Old Mysuru and Rural Bengaluru, the party will do better than the Congress in the ZP elections. This time party senior leaders too have actively participated in the election campaign,” the leader added. To win the ZP and TP elections, the BJP had poached on local JD(S) and Congress leaders who were fed up with their party and leaders.

The BJP cadre approached potential leaders in Udupi, Dakshna Kannada, Shivamogga, Kalaburagi and Belagavi and won them over.