Political leaders indulged in a war of words on Thursday over the the results of the gram panchayat elections. While Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa claimed that BJP-backed candidates had won the most number of seats, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah slammed him and claimed that Congress-backed candidates had performed well.
Attacking Mr. Yediyurappa for claiming victory of party-backed candidates in 3,800 gram panchayats even before the panchayats were formed, Mr. Siddaramaiah questioned the basis for the claim, even as he stated that Congress-backed candidates had won in big numbers. “It is the Congress that is number one in terms of gram panchayat results, not the BJP. The BJP did not even have its candidates in several panchayats. The BJP has hijacked our candidates,” he said. Claiming that Mr. Yediyurappa was daydreaming, he said, “His position as Chief Minister has become shaky and he wants to safeguard his chair. That is why he is claiming that the BJP has won more number of seats.” He also alleged that the saffron party was enticing Congress-backed candidates with money. “The BJP has money power, but people are not backing it. The administration has collapsed,” he claimed.
Expressing satisfaction over the performance of Congress-backed candidates, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar said he would seek reports from district committees on the party’s performance. “I do not know what internal problems ail the BJP that they are claiming victory. Once the panchayats are formed, it will be clear who has won. We have given the responsibility of overseeing the elections to local leaders,” he said.
Meanwhile, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy claimed that despite the muscle power of the national parties, the regional party had done well. Taking to Twitter, he thanked voters for reposing faith in JD(S)-backed candidates. “The results show that the party is stable in the grassroots and our party-backed candidates won fighting adverse conditions,” he tweeted.
