The Congress is predicted to be trailing at the third position, despite getting Rs 15 cr for election expense

BJP has edge in polls: Report

The Congress is predicted to be trailing at the third position, despite getting Rs 15 cr for election expense

Emotional Atyachar: Yeddyurappa had said that he'd be forced to go
to national politics in case BJP performs badly in the panchayat polls.
File pic

The report says that the BJP would get absolute majority in 12-13 (out of 30) districts, and the Congress and the JD(S) would share the rest almost equally among themselves. The BJP is expected to emerge as the single largest party in six districts, where it has a chance of coming to power with an understanding with other parties.

The Congress managed to come to power in 23 districts during the last polls held in 2005, is apparently heading towards a big debacle as its numbers are expected to come down to a single digit. The report says that the Congress is expected to bag around seven districts, while the JD(S) will improve its tally with six.

"Being the ruling party, the BJP has an advantage, and it is no wonder that it will do well in these elections," said Venkateswar, a Congress leader. "We are not lagging behind. I can see the leaders putting in concerted efforts that will guide us to a victory."

Money matters
He added that the intelligence department was trying to appease the BJP by giving a favourable report.
Money is playing a major role in the panchayat elections like never before. Being a dominant campaigner, the BJP is understood have spent around Rs 3 crore per district, with spending around Rs 10 lakh on an average per constituency. The JD(S) comes second with a budget of Rs 20 crore, while the Congress managed to mobilise only around Rs 15 crore.

"The BJP was way ahead of us when we started our poll exercise," said a Congress leader. "It looks like we are going to suffer a major setback," he added.

While opposition parties are trying to make corruption a poll issue, they have failed to convince voters. On the other hand, the media attack on the government and the opposition parties appears to have triggered voters' sympathy for Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, when he played an emotional card by saying he would be forced to go to national politics in case BJP performs poorly in the panchayat polls.

"The corruption issue has backfired for the opposition," said Girish Mattannavar, former president, BJP Yuva Morcha. "Their negative campaign only seems to be helping us," he added.

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