Big Blow to BJP in Karnataka Local Polls


The Congress dealt a massive blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka urban local body elections by winning four major city corporations. The Congress not only made huge gains by winning the highest number of wards across the state, but the party also routed BS Yeddyurappa‘s Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) and ended the rule of Reddy brothers in Bellary by decimating their BSR Congress across central Karnataka.

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Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa’s KJP failed to make a big splash while the ruling BJP could only secure third place by winning just 876 wards while the Congress was way ahead with 1881 seats. The Janata Dal Secular (JDS) managed to hold on to its strength in the Old Mysore region and managed to win 890 wards to take the second place in the state.

The Karnataka local polls, which have been billed as semi-finals before the state elects a new Assembly in a couple of months, show that the BJP is finding the going tough and has not been fully able to counter the Yeddyurappa effect.

There are a total number of 4976 seats for which counting took place. The Congress won Bellary, Mangalore and Davanagere city corporations. The party is leading in four out of seven city corporations and is also doing very well in Dakshin Kannada.

The BJP is ahead in Hubli-Dharwad while there is close fight between Congress and JDS in Mysore. Yeddyurappa’s party has put up a dismal performance in Shimoga while the BJP has suffered a huge defeat in its stronghold of coastal Karnataka where the Independents have come third. The trends and results show that urban voters have rejected BJP and its offshoots KJP and BSR Congress.

The Bellary brothers, who had launched the BSR Congress, have been routed in their stronghold. The Congress is also leading in areas dominated by the JDS.

The results are crucial since they could be an indicator of what will happen in the state elections coming up in two months. Over 200 municipalities including seven city corporations went to the polls on March 7.

In the last urban local bodies polls in 2007, of the total 5007 wards, the Congress had come first winning 1606, followed by JDS 1502 and BJP 1180.

Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?


Everybody is looking at how to make more money. And while we are talking about everybody, how can our beloved politicians not feature in the rat race. Our great Indian politicians spend hours at a stretch in devising error proof strategies to loot people and fill their bank accounts. But the irony of the entire situation is that, do they actually get a chance to enjoy the money they skim. Despite being loaded with millions they still cannot flaunt a BMW or an Armani outfit. But there has to be an exception everywhere. The Iron lady of India Jayalalitha has no hitches in flaunting whatever she has achieved.

Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

If we were to look at different politicians who were involved in various scams and earned big fat money then the list would be never ending. So let’s take a look at few prominent politicians who made corruption the limelight of India.

A.Raja- 2G Scam

 Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

He is someone associate to everytime you hear about the 2G spectrum financial scandal in the Telecommunications and IT Ministry. This is the largest political corruption case in the Indian history, a scam worth 176,000 crore. This was followed by his resignation and a raid at his residence by the CBI. Raja was involved in illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for allocating licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones. He arranged the sale of the 2G spectrum licenses below their market value. The estimate to Raja’s wealth is a big amount of 3,000 crore. His personal income increased from 11.47 lakh to 22.12 lakh from 2009 to 2010. Despite making so much money and his newly conquered wealth, he is confined within the walls of Tihar Jail.

Suresh Kalmadi- CWG Scam

Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

Once belonging to the Indian Sports fraternity, Suresh Kalmadi, tainted former CWG Organising Committee chairman, gave rise to the CMG scam for awarding illegal contracts to a Swiss firm for Timing Scoring Result system for the 2010 Commonwealth Games causing a loss of 95 crore to the exchequer. It is estimated that out of 70000 crore spent on the Games, only half the said amount was spent on Indian sportspersons. Kalmadi and his team were in a habit of in the habit of handing out contracts to firms that provided equipment or services at exorbitant rates. During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Kalmadi had declared assets worth 12.81 crore while filing nomination from Pune. He had claimed that he owned agriculture land worth 1.38 lakh and house and apartments worth 2.49 crore. What a pity for this man, who looted the public to build his wealth and is now using it to cure his new crisis ‘dementia’, a disease related to memory loss.

BS Yeddyurappa- Land Scam

Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

Every scam must have something unique in it to make money, take a look at the multi-crore land scam by the former Karnataka Chief Minister and the BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa that had all the suspense and drama a scam needs. He made a sincere effort in bringing a complete change in every rule stated in the book, only to ensure allotment of land for his sons and other family members. He gave away two acres of industrial land to his family firm in Bangalore, two acres to his daughter’s BPO firm, a residential plot to his son in Bangalore, 134 acres (mining lease) to his followers and residential plots to his relatives in Mysore. He made sure the lands were de-notified in return for investments in his family firms or lands were allotted on a preferential basis to enable the business growth of these companies. With 15 illegal transactions carried out by the CM, his family made around 190 crore. According to Yeddyurappa’s affidavit, the assets owned by him are worth 1. 82 Crore while liabilities are 2.59 Lakhs. This bumpy ride gradually led to a downfall of Yeddyurappa.

Madhu Koda- Hawala Scam

Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

Another feather in the cap of the Indian corruption list is Hawala Scam by the former Jharkand Chief Minister,’ Madhu Koda’ was responsible for a scam worth over 4000 Crore. This corrupt politician exploited the state’s natural resources by licensing illegal mining leases and hiding the wealth collective during the undertaking. You would be astonished on reading the eventful life this man enjoyed. From being a labourer who worked in the mines to receiving all the benefits by capturing the Chief Minister’s chair and now the district jail, he was charged with washing off money. He has propery worth 130 Crore. And the government is set to confiscate assets worth 125.

Mayawati- Power Scam

Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

Someone who didn’t leave even a single opportunity to misuse her power is Mayawati. The mother of all scams, who uses shoddy way to get funds. She is accused of 3,000 Crore power scam. The state-owned Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation sacrificed lower rate of power from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and other agencies, and made an agreement with five private power companies to purchase 5,000 crore units of power from July 2011 to June 2012 at a much higher rate. She was also charged with corruption when the Taj Heritage corridor case was uncovered. Mayawati’s government is involved in 100 scams worth 2.54 lakh crore and 4 lakh crore scams of central government. Her net worth at present is more than 87 crore, a gain of at least 35 crore over her 2007 declaration of 52 crore. With more than 67 percent returns in three years. She is the most corrupt politician India has ever seen.