The Times of India                  12.03.2013 

Congress sweeps ULBs in DK, Udupi

It was a near total rout of the BJP in Dakshina Kannada that saw it retain only Sullia town panchayat while conceding the Mangalore City Corporation, Puttur, Moodbidri, Bantwal and Ullal town municipal councils, and Belthangady town panchayat to the Congress. In Udupi, the BJP conceded the Udupi CMC to Congress, while winning in Kundapur TMC and Saligrama TP. Congress won Karkala TMC by a wafer thin margin of one seat.

In Dakshina Kannada, Congress won 108 out of 189 ULB seats on offer in seven civic bodies as against 63 that BJP won. JD(S) won six seats, including two in MCC, CPM 2 including one in MCC, while the independents won in 4 and others six seats. Interestingly, the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) contesting polls for the first time opened its account in MCC at the expense of Gulzaar Banu, Mayor from Congress in Katipalla North ward.

In Udupi, Congress won 49 out of 95 wards, while BJP won in 43 wards. The CPM won in two wards and Harish Ram, an independent was successful in making his entry to the CMC there. In the prestigious contest that mattered, BJP won in 35 out of 60 wards on offer in MCC, relegating BJP to 20 seats. As far as Udupi CMC in concerned, Congress ensured BJPs worse ever performance there winning 22 out of 35 wards, restricting BJP to 11 wards.

Congress win in MCC was soured by the fact that K Ashraf, former Mayor and president of Mangalore City Corporation announced his resignation to the post notwithstanding the fact that Congress won in 13 out of 20 wards in the block. Loss in party's pocket borough wards of 43-Kudroli and 44-Bunder ward that Ashraf represented in the last council was the last straw for Ashraf to handle, who promptly announced his decision to step down.