BJP today appeared to retain control of the IT city's civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), as it moved ahead of the Congress, winning 49 wards and leading in 46 others, a state Election Commission official said.
The Congress, the ruling party in the state, has invested much prestige into the battle had bagged 36, JDS seven and others three till noon as counting of votes for BBMP polls, held on Aug 22, began this morning.
Results for 95 out of 197 wards had been declared around noon.
Putting all its might into the battle, the Congress had launched an all out offensive to unseat BJP.
Trends showed that BJP is leading in 46, Congress in 37, JD(S) in five and others in five.
The election to 198 wards of BBMP was held after a prolonged court battle, as Siddaramaiah led government sought to defer it on grounds of trifurcating the civic body.
A total of 1,121 candidates were in the fray. One candidate from BJP has already been elected unopposed.
Besides Corporators, the 254-member BBMP Council includes 56 other members from Bengaluru with voting rights-- 28 MLAs, 15 MLCs, five Lok Sabha and eight Rajya Sabha members.
During the 2010 BBMP polls, BJP had won in 111 wards; Congress in 65 wards, JD(S) in 15 and others 17.
