Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday, took moral responsibility for the debacle of the Congress party in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP) elections. “I own responsibility for the party’s defeat in the BBMP elections,” he said and took in his stride the poll outcome. The BBMP poll verdict would not become a referendum on the State Government. The electorate would choose different political parties in different elections, he said. He had campaigned intensively in the run-up to the elections.
He was addressing press persons at his official residence “Krishna”, and made these remarks in response to queries from them.
The Congress candidates won in 76 wards while the Opposition BJP candidates emerged victorious in 100 wards. The JD(S) won in 14 and independents in 8 wards, respectively.
Replying to questions from press persons at his official residence “Krishna”, the Chief Minister said he had expected that the party would get a simple majority in the elections because of the work the government had done in the last two years. But now “we have to respect the people’s verdict”. Poll surveys conducted by media had also given more seats to the ruling Congress, he said.
In elections (non-party lines) held to gram panchayats, the Congress had won a majority of seats in 23 out of 30 districts.
Replying to a question on splitting the BBMP, he said the Bill had been referred to President Pranab Mukherjee. The Cabinet would discuss the issue of dividing the BBMP after the President gives his nod to the Bill, he said.